Fantasy Swirl
by PrincessPeace15
Summary: Everyone who's ever been a gamer has wondered "How could I get into the world behind my TV screen?" at one point, right? However, 10-year-old Juliet, who has just become a gamer herself, has no idea that it's actually going to happen to her. She ends up in both the worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mobius. A fiction story written by my primary OC, Rachel...
1. Chapter 1

*Juliet's POV*

It was just an insipid, snow-ridden night in the middle of January. The month where the snow morphs from a beauty to a burden, and spirit is completely nonexistent. The month where you feel most trapped in this "winter wonderland"… and face it, you're praying for the grass to come back.

This month was when I first came upon the journey, at the naïve age of merely 10.

I had walked out to get the mail, for it was a stupid Saturday when I had not much to do at all. I had heard the rustling of the mail lady's feet, so… boredom enhanced my curiosity in such a petty thing.

I looked down to find a package. One that almost seemed to have its fair share of bumps and dents… and was addressed to me.

I took it inside and pierced it with a knife, then delicately opened the flaps.

I was not prepared to be sucked in. I was not prepared for a new sort of gravity to yank me into a portal that seemed to pierce the fabrics of time and space.

No, I'm serious. Out of thin air, some weird hole opened up above the opening of the box. I was only able to see it for a second. It appeared to twinkle with the dots of a million stars, but I couldn't really think much of it.

The next thing I knew, I was flung through something with a force that could make me and something else into a black hole, then ended up confusedly looking around at new surroundings, freaking out to the max.

Why was the sky as blue as it should have been? Why was the grass an unwavering green, sporting an almost animatic-like shadow?

Most importantly… why were there mushroom-like trees growing off in the distance?

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><p><strong>Author's note: It's not the best piece of work… but this is certainly going to be one hell of a crossover! It's based on only part of my adolescence. I've been in love with MANY fictional characters over the years, so… that's what gave me this idea.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

I got up, still trying to make sense of it all. The bright colors, the… everything. The atmosphere even felt a little cleaner.

I walked around a bit and felt a smile begin to emerge. Hey… this world wasn't half bad! There were beautiful trees and a cheerful scenery. Besides, I was starting to get a sense that I actually knew where I was.

And that's when something just about grabbed my elbow. In shock, I turned around, seeing nothing.

"W-Wha?" I reacted.

"Down here!" a strange voice called from the ground. Not only strange in presence, but strange in itself.

So I looked down and saw a familiar mushroom person. He had red dots on his otherwise white mushroom… cap thingy.

I knew it. And I couldn't believe it. At that point in my life, not much could be said on behalf of excitement, but… excitement was storming within me. I held back quite a few screams.

…Oh, this was a Toad. Yeah, forgot to throw that out there.

"You look startled," the Toad worried.

"Uh… yeah," I laughed. "Is this the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"We're on the outskirts," the Toad answered. "Are you a weary traveler from afar? You're a human, like Princess Peach!"

There was definitely no kidding now.

"I don't quite know," I stammered. "I just got sucked through some sort of portal thingy from a package, and here I am."

"Woah, really?!" the Toad exclaimed. "If something like that happened to you, we must go to Dr. Toadley before I take you to the castle. He's a philosopher as well as a doctor. Perhaps he can figure something out."

I then found myself following the Toad through the streets of a small village, with mushroom huts and yellowed walkways, before going with him into a purple mushroom hut.

These things were definitely bigger from the inside. It looked like a hospital waiting room, actually. There were chairs lined up back to back, and a desk with a few Toadette-like nurses bustling about.

"…Greetings," one of them marveled after looking up and catching sight of us. "You bring a foreign traveler?"

"Very strange, isn't it?" the Toad beside me sighed, shaking his head. "We need to see Dr. Toadley. The traveler claims she's been sucked through a portal to end up here."

The nurse's eyes widened a bit.

"Yes!" she replied. "Right away! Right down the hallway on the right, sir and madam!"

As I followed the Toad down a darkened, eerie hallway, I began to think back and realize that the nurse seemed a little startled. The worry in her voice was contagious. Should I question my safety?, I wondered. Was I a bad omen?

We stopped when we came upon an older Toad in a purple cloak. Certainly, this must have been the fellow we were searching for.

And his laboratory… it could make the most modern and sophisticated scientist just a bit envious. There were flasks filled with magic and laid out in neat rows on shelves that almost touched the ceiling. Behind Dr. Toadley was a huge machine of some sort. It wasn't clear as to what its function was.

"I'm glad you've responded so quickly," he spoke to the Toad. "I need to know every detail about how this happened." He turned to me. "Young lady. How old are you, to begin with?"

"I'm 10," I replied.

"Ah, very young, indeed," he sighed. "How did you get here?"

"See, I got a package in the mail," I explained. "…It's simple. I opened it up, and this weird portal sucked me in, and then I was on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Oh, my," he marveled. "Did you catch the return address?"

"…No, sir," I sighed.

"You shouldn't have," he nodded. "For there isn't one."

"Dr. Toadley!" the Toad exclaimed. "You know about this?"

"It was a phenomena only mentioned as a plausible legend," Dr. Toadley explained. "It told of a traveler from the planet Earth, who'd end up here and be launched through a tunnel of turmoil for the next 6 or 7 years of their life. The girl may just be the victim."

"W-What type of turmoil?" the Toad shuddered.

"Oh, awful, awful things," Dr. Toadley said, shaking his head solemnly. "Something within her will be broken and mended repeatedly. Her world will come crashing down around her eventually. That's where the legend ends. Who knows whether the world will repair itself?"

I was officially frozen with fear.

"You mean our world is going to be destroyed?!" the Toad panicked.

Dr. Toadley merely laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked the Toad.

"Oh, my boy," Dr. Toadley smiled. "Are you not old enough? Therefore, are you not mature enough to see it? I think not. I think the same for the girl. Go on and take her to Princess Peach's castle. She'll learn in time. Oh, she'll learn."

"…Well," said the Toad, clearly shaken to the core, yet not hesitant to lead me out of the building. "He's right. Let's meet the princess. I wonder if she'll be kind enough to lend you a place in her castle."

I merely followed him, definitely keeping a close eye on my safety. Was I going to die?, I wondered. I feared death. I could almost sense death.

But it would turn out to be deaths and rebirths of a significant difference.

My heart was just about to go past its speed limit when we approached the front gates of the castle.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Almost 1,000 words! Almost! When I was first writing on , I <strong>_**averaged **_**2,000. What happened? Either way, I would **_**greatly **_**appreciate reviews! Is Fantasy Swirl all for naught?**


	3. Chapter 3

The place stood so elegantly. Big and tall… quite assertively for a castle.

"Well, come on," the Toad said, motioning for me to come inside. "Don't be shy."

So shyly, I paced through the tall doors, meeting elegance at an impossible level. Flags and carpets were laid out everywhere, the place was clean to the last inch, and… this was a castle of the utmost importance.

I did catch sight of a man whilst walking past a room. This man… well, he'd play a role, alright.

As I followed the Toad, he motioned for me to be quiet. We ended up walking past a very important meeting. I heard Princess Peach's voice presenting information… and then, I saw him.

Mario.

Of course, being an Earthling gamer-in-training, I knew Mario.

But seeing him here… brought something new about me. A high sense… as if dreamy clouds of magic were flooding my heart. A smile crept onto my usually grinless face.

I let out a sigh that I had never sighed before. One that seemed to announce ecstasy. Mario's eyes were so beautiful, and… as we were walking away… I heard his voice. Oh, it was so handsome…

Wait… what was this?

"They're addressing a serious matter in there, so I can't get ahold of the princess at the moment," said my guide Toad. "There's a serious disease called the Blorbs spreading amongst us Toads. You don't have to worry, for you are human… but me? That's a different story."

I was seriously just concerned with meeting Mario. Had he changed at all to make him… the attractive thing he was now?


	4. Chapter 4

The Toad led me down long, carpeted passageways until we finally reached what I thought was the princess's bedroom at first. It was darkened despite the single window that took a huge chunk out of the northern wall. The bed was neatly made with pink and white sheets, and something was true that I had always dreamed of in a bedroom: there was lots of space.

Sleep that night was memorable… for my dreams starred Mario. How he spoke so seductively and delicately to me within them… It's still a mystery as to how something so exciting could have been wished by my heart at such a young age.

Or was I really that… young anymore?

I'd soon find out that romantic insanity spanned farther than just myself.

It's true. Everything went like a fairytale: no hardships… no real life rules applied whatsoever.

I STILL don't get it!

I figure out that things were going to go like a charm the morning after I awoke from my first bout of those dreams. Literally.

Actually… I must admit, I was so entranced that after eating a hearty breakfast, I pranced throughout the castle, searching for him. I could barely control myself and my thoughts… for love was new to me. A new concept. Something totally unknown before. I wanted him… and not even in that filthy way, either. I just wanted to feel him kiss me, I believe. The mustache was no bother.

I remember that as I turned down one corridor, I came upon a rather unfortunate citizen. Then, the memory of where I had _exactly _seen Mario came rushing back. A meeting regarding a pandemic. A pandemic that this poor Toad was unfortunately a victim of, I knew. I knew it the instant that he both didn't look right and did look miserable.

"My… bod," he groaned in pure agony, sitting as a bloated mass against the wall. "What do I do now?!"

Back then… I was shy to the max. Others were not necessarily my enemies… but my weaknesses.

Yet that almost subsided when I approached this Toad. I still can't believe it myself.

"That stinks," I sighed. "…I-Is there anything I can… do?"

"No, but thank you much," the Toad replied, almost smiling for a second. "You'll see a lot like me out on the streets."

Strange. Was I too caught up in getting to Dr. Toadley's place to see anyone going through the same agony?

"I can only hope for a cure," he sighed sadly, staring up at the ceiling as if it was the only way his eyes could go.

As the moon glinted off of the fogged windows around me, I had to accept that going any further at once would get me lost. Lost within this palace of a castle that was definitely a lot more gigantic from the inside.

I headed back to my room and sat down on the bed… jumping in my spot.

I had just put a hand on someone else's leg. An oddly familiar leg as well.

Where had he come from?


	5. Chapter 5

Before I could fully recover from what had just happened, I knew the being had gotten up. Oh, dear… Had I creeped the person out? I already knew one thing despite these being the first moments of my waking love life: Giving a bad first impression was like the poison to my chances.

But then, the light came on. It flooded the room, making the outside world appear to be an endless void, filled with nothing but a vast multitude of twinkles.

But who had switched the light on?

I looked over and saw him. He was here after I had been looking for him all day. With red cheeks and a gradually declining composure, I had to be ready.

There was Mario. His blue eyes shone like sapphires against the artificial light that glowed from above. They stared… directly at me. In a way that I had never seen them before, not even before I had gotten here.

Somehow… I knew it was good. And somehow, it's only now that I remember that he had a sly smile on his face. Back then, I could never see anything below that opaque mustache.

Within the next sweeping moment, he came back and sat down next to me, an amplified version of that same look on his face. What was that thing in the way he stared that made me realize that for once… my dreams were coming true?

And… what did he even want from me?

Oh, do I certainly know now.

"Hi, Mario!" I smiled cheerily. "What do you need?"

Then, everything both collapsed and came together at the same time.

"You!" he replied, getting a rosy shade on his face and wrapping his arms around me.

Woah, right?! That's what I would have thought if love was a mastered topic. I had been introduced to it for literally 24 hours, so all I knew to do was to wrap my arms around him as well and stare back into his eyes. At the same time, I was perplexed. I had so much to learn, and even I knew it! My oblivion on the topic would prove… I'll save that for later.

"W-What do you mean?" was all I could ask, restraining myself from kissing his irresistibly cute face right then and there.

Still, I had yet to be amazed.

"I love you, Juliet," he said more confidently than I had expected. "You're beautiful, you're sweet… You're everything I've been searching for."

Oh, how I would have asked how he knew this when he had seen me so little. Or… had he seen me very little at all? Regardless of what the answer was, my heart demanded that I just bask in the moment and refrain from asking questions. This was all I needed, it insisted.

Sure… Someone who I've truly barely met, who was now staring at me with passionate eyes, was all I needed. Good going, 10-year-old heart…

I guess this was also true because the next moment came just as suddenly. I realized that he had his hand cupped around the right side of my face. Just a few seconds after that realization came to be… you guessed it.

His lips were kissing mine… and passionately. I just went with it and realized that kissing… really wasn't that hard. It was so new… yet so warm, enriching, and happy. I loved it.

Once we finally broke apart, he looked even more sincerely in my eyes and asked "Will you be mine, Juliet?"

"Yes," I nodded, almost cutting him off. "I will be yours, forever and ever! I love you so much!"

…Oh, 10-year-old heart… What have you done? Without you, would my journey even have happened? When I think about it now, I remember just how young I was… and just how wrong it was for everything to sweep by so quickly…

Then… I believe we made out for an hour or so. That's as simply as I can put it. No, we never went THERE… but if I remember correctly, I think we got rather close to that point. By making out, I mean passionate kissing, but… Ugh, who knew what he was thinking?

Point is this. We were together. Super Mario was my first boyfriend.

Oh, but it didn't stop there.

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><p><strong>DISCLAIMER: I have NO experience with kissing. Anything I've said about the experience is purely my take on what others have projected. I am Forever Alone.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S WARNING: If you see innocence in Mario, I suggest you turn away from this chapter. It WILL ruin that for you. Mario is shed in a different light than ever before: the light I see him in. The Don't Like, Don't Read policy is officially in effect for this fanfiction.**

* * *

><p>According to exactly what I was expecting (surprisingly), I actually got a lot of support regarding my relationship with Mario from whoever worked in the castle.<p>

Yeah, I never really left. I didn't quite understand it eventually; I was almost treated like the Mushroom Kingdom's second royal being, even though I knew I had NO such role. Everyone brought me my food and other necessities. I literally never HAD to leave the castle. Whenever I did, and wherever I went, Toads of all personalities and colors would politely ask how my day was.

But the romance within my life would end up manipulating itself in a cruel, corrupt way… and eventually, that would cause it to rot and eventually collapse.

See… Mario had to kiss me _every _night. Makeout sessions began to feel… routine. No, I'm being serious.

It continued like this for three years. A huge jump in time. I grew from oblivious to aware. From a child to an official teenager.

And that September… when I was actually a little less than three months from the age of fourteen, the "romantic" agenda that Mario always had prepared was beginning to get a little annoying.

At first, romance was still fresh in my head, so I tried to deny it. His eyes were so beautiful and bright. Kissing him, after all, _was _an exciting experience… at first.

But then, the truth began to settle in. Was… that really it?

Then came the night that would prove me correct.

It was just another beautiful night. I was staring out of the window, and Mario had his arms around my shoulder. Somehow, it still warmed my heart. The chill of autumn was beginning to introduce itself and nudge its way into the air between the lingering heat.

Then, I noticed that Mario's hands were moving and began to feel as if something was off.

Indeed, something was beginning to come off.

"Woah!" I said, wriggling myself out of his grasp and rearranging my shirt. "I'm… not sure if I'm quite ready for that yet."

Here's where the love's condition officially began to fall downhill.

"Aw, come on," he whined. "We've been together for three years now, and we haven't done it yet!"

Passionate truth wasn't even that evident in his voice. It almost seemed to growl with the lust growing within him. What WAS this?!

Passing by those Toads in town that were fortunate enough to have a romantic partner did not go unheeded whatsoever. Over the three years that I was living in a lie, I had watched many dating and kissing couples out of the corner of my eye… and I had learned things. I picked up on everything rather quickly.

Even before that September night, I had learned that these Toads and Toadettes were looking into each other's eyes when they were taking a breather. I didn't catch one makeout session that was nearly as serious as the ones that Mario had put in my routine.

I had heard one Toad tell his Toadette something that caught my attention.

"Oh, Toadette," he had sighed dreamily. "I love everything about you. The way your laugh gets up to those high pitches when something's really funny. The way you're always lending a helping hand to those who need it. The way you make a pencil glide across paper to make the only art I'll ever see as divine. The way your pigtails flutter in the breeze. Everything about you… is perfect."

And what did Mario ever say to me?

It was either "You're so hot," or "I love you so much." He never really elaborated.

And _he _had never looked deeply into my eyes. Perhaps occasionally, but mostly… it was at the rest of me.

And it all came back to bite me tonight. It makes me wonder how he had managed to hold back for so long. Something tells me that I actually don't want to know.

Regardless, that was it. This thing I thought was "love" was dead.

"I don't know," I replied nervously, backing up a bit.

"Juliet," said Mario. "Please?" He got uncomfortably close to me, and I was sitting on the bed, so I really had nowhere to run.

"I don't want to yet!" I said seriously. "We don't have the right materials to do it safely! I don't want children!"

That's when he applied a bit of force on my arms. He just wasn't going to stop, wasn't he?

As his hands went under my shirt again, it clicked. Mario was a prince no longer. He was just a dirty man… trying to carry out what men carry out.

And I had had enough. Congratulations, Juliet… You've graduated Part 1 of Romance Class.

I kicked him in the one place he had been trying to put into action. As he winced, I was able to get free and run out of the room.

I held the door just far enough so that I could shout "We're through!" I then slammed it and began to run for another room.

As my feet tapped against the linoleum floors, I heard a female voice call "What is the matter?"

I stopped sharply… turning to my left and seeing Princess Peach, in a long pink pajama gown, staring at me worriedly.

She continued "…Did Mario do something to you?"

"…Yes," I sighed, walking over to her. "He tried to do…"

"No…" said the princess. "…You two had been together for so long. I always had this gut feeling that it'd all come crashing down."

"I'm sorry," I then sighed. "Don't you love him? Did I steal your love from you?"

Then, Peach sighed shakily.

"I would have said that… if you were asking me just about _five _years ago. He tried the same thing with me. That's it. I'm banishing him from the castle. You're still welcome to stay here, Juliet. You can sleep on the floor of my room tonight."

"Thank you!" I said.

Sleeping in the same room as other people was always awkward… but it was certainly a relief compared to the pure _violation_ that had taken place earlier. Peach had just forced Mario out of the castle, and it was one of the happiest sights I had seen in a long time.

But little did I know where I was to go next.

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><p><strong>Author's note: TRUST me, this would look so much different if I had the bravery to write lemon (a.k.a. smut).<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

The peace only lasted for a few days. Only a few days did the most precious relief I had ever known thus far survive.

The man was gone. The man who had lured me into a trap and kept me there, sitting in a cage of a lie for _3 years_, while too shrouded in oblivion to realize the truth until I was about to be violated and impregnated.

I remember the day that things changed again. The sun was setting as calmly as it ever could on a constantly beautiful horizon. Peach's room was extremely shaded, but with the remaining light, I could still see her face. We were like two BFFs for the time that we knew each other. It was different… but I liked it. I could express the sorrow that came out of my struggle of oblivion and ask whatever I wanted… and that's what I did on this perfectly shaded evening.

"Everything will be alright now, I assure you," she told me. "He's been tried in court for sexual assault, and I believe he's been thrown in jail by now."

"Great!" I smiled. "…Hey, Peach?"

"Yes?"

I was about to ask a question that had been bugging my curiosity for several days now. I was too caught up in my "love" for Mario to realize it was there, but… I found it. Otherwise, I would have asked much earlier. Such a deep question.

So I asked "Would you happen to know why I was brought here? To the Mushroom Kingdom?"

At this, Peach sighed.

"I know a few things," she tried to explain. "It was actually up in the air as to whether you were even going to arrive here. I figured you weren't… so that's why I couldn't give you a formal introduction."

"Why would you need to give me a formal introduction anyway?" I asked. "I'm just a girl!"

"Just a girl?" Peach reacted. "It may seem so. Juliet… You were brought here because there's more to you than what meets the eye. Earth was NOT treating you to the standards by which we needed them to, so you will no longer need their company. There's a whole other world that needs you. More importantly… a weary traveler… the savior of our very universe as we know it… needs you by his side more than anyone else ever will."

Then, the world rattled. Both within myself and all around me. Now I knew. Knowing was half the… excitement.

…But literally, it was like an earthquake had stricken the area. I could hear the shelves rattle, and the princess gasp worriedly as she ran to the window. As she stared intently at the outside world, she didn't move. She was almost like the subject of a picture.

Then, she spoke.

"…Go."

"W-Why?" I asked.

"GO! You're not safe here!"

"Why not?!"

"It's Bowser! I know those things on his ship! Leave! NOW!"

"Things on the ship" was probably what provoked me to get myself out of there. The room was surprisingly close to the front doors of the castle, which actually seemed more like a giant, artistic hole in the wall than anything.

I ran out to the bridge over the moat… then met the quite-near-deafening sound of chains, and then… the Earth-quaking impacts of what appeared to be metal tether-like things on the bottom of those chains. I just about fell over, but realized what was happening and dove for land, where hundreds of Toads were standing, panicking.

I turned around and joined them in their terror. The castle… literally being lifted from the ground.

"PRINCESS!" I called out almost instinctively.

Not a word to be said from anything or anyone from within. Had the poor thing… accepted her fate?

That would have been a matter if it weren't for the next Toad that tugged on my arm. I looked down… and saw that it was Dr. Toadley.

"You must leave the kingdom," he shuddered. "Before Bowser sees you!"

I felt bad, and he must have picked up on this.

"If he sees you, he will most definitely go for you instead!" he explained. "You are more powerful than you may feel, Juliet. Nobody knows the number of people who know this. That number can include a multitude of fiends. Head for the forest to the south of the kingdom!"

Feeling the reality of everything starting to close in on me, I fought my way through the crowd, then proceeded to do said running toward the huge trees of a forest that I knew would hide me… even from Bowser and his clown ship.

I eventually fell face-first on the ground. Mostly from tripping on a log, but partly from fatigue. I was under an opaque canopy of leaves.

Then, the voice. That was the hand that turned my book to the next chapter of my insane love story. The voice was sinister, and I knew that it was generically bad news.

"Oh, you poor thing," it chuckled from an angle that my eyes could not achieve. "Allow me to help you out."


	8. Chapter 8

"Tell me who you are first!" I cried.

"You'll know soon enough."

At that, I heard footsteps rustle against the snow that froze about the ground. After that, a hand grabbed mine, and I was being pulled to a kneeling position. A gloved hand.

Gloved? That brought the cringe that came with a quick flashback. Wait… That voice did NOT belong to Mario. It was sinister. It almost buzzed, not like a robot, but almost like an eagle strumming a high and extremely varied guitar string. It dove into depths and soared back up, like the voice of someone evil.

Because it was.

"I may as well ask, my dear," it said. "…Are you alright?"

That's when I turned my head to finally see him. His mask rang a bell in my head. I just couldn't figure out what name that bell rested under.

His face was a mask. He had some sort of hat that almost fanned out like a… fan. It and his shawl were striped with the alternating colors of purple and yellow. He wore black pants and pointy black shoes.

…Were those eyes and a mouth? Or were they seriously just holes into a yellow, black, and red oblivion?

Whatever it was, it creeped me out. It sent shivers up my arms.

"Does anything hurt?" he asked. As kindly as he asked it, his voice still seemed to spell bad news.

But now that I was recovering a bit… I realized that my ankle did hurt a bit. It was a little more than usual as well. Not enough to convince me that I had seriously injured it at all… but enough for me to respond about it.

"Yeah," I nodded. "My ankle. Just a bit, though."

At that, the man raised his left hand up, shook his fingers in a magical manner, and produced sparks of a deep red color. My back tickled, as if they were landing on me.

My pain was gone. This dude was a magician.

He had to have been a magician. That shawl… that hat… They were colorful, even while decked out in only two separate colors. His shoes almost looked as if they were crafted by a wizard. His mask was almost… kinda cute. His voice… Every articulation it made was another different type of shiver for me.

All of a sudden, this mystery jester of a man… enchanted me.

"What is your name?" I asked, feeling the desperation to know well up inside me.

"Dimentio," he chuckled. "Master of dimensions and pleaser of crowds. Thank you for asking. You are without a single place to go, seeing as your previous home was just lifted into the sky by that blubbering turtle of an enemy, yes?"

"…Yes," I chuckled a bit. I liked this guy's way of putting things.

"Why, then, it is me you must follow!" Dimentio continued.

A bubble of skepticism tried to make its way through my mind's throat. However… Man, I didn't know what it was, but my mind didn't burp it. My mind was with Dimentio.

I found myself instantly in a new place. A new… dimension of sorts. How he did that, I still struggle to figure out. We were just… there. I was actually kinda scared for a second. Would I ever make it out of here?

Dimentio could be trusted, my mind chanted to me. Trust him. You'll be fine.

There's more to this than I've revealed, and it is a sudden burst of insane.


	9. Chapter 9

"This is a dimension of my own _magnificent _creation," Dimentio said impressively. "I like to call it Dimension D! If you would appreciate a nice, new place to call home, this is the location that I so heartily suggest for you."

A green room? So much for a dimension… Was this really all it was? Just a lonely, empty green room?

"Just a room, you think?" Dimentio continued. "Usually, it is exactly that! Allow me to show you that it will no longer be exactly that!"

At that, with a snap of his fingers, magic worked again. It worked to cut out a symmetrical rectangle in the wall. That rectangle then… disappeared. Into thin air. Gone.

What WAS this?!

"Ta-da!" said Dimentio. "Dimension D is connected directly to my home, Castle Bleck! Or will be my home…" His voice went down to a murmur. "Until everything goes to plan." His voice rose back up to normal. "Ahem… Castle Bleck is your home as well! Feel free to roam about! Run into any of the other minions I've been forced- BLESSED to work with! Until later, dearest lady."

At that, a rectangle was stretched out around his entire body. That rectangle flipped a couple of times… causing him to disappear.

Hmm… Dimentio… dimensions… Bleck… This was all strangely familiar. Not familiar enough, though… A video game I saw someone play?

Yeah. It was called Super Paper Mario, right?

Oh, yeah! It all came back! But… if what I remembered was true… why was Dimentio still attached in any way to Castle Bleck? How was he still standing?

The world was basically like a video game at the moment. Nothing left in my location, and only one other location to venture to. Oh, the door to Castle Bleck definitely isn't the way to go. Ha!

I stepped carefully toward the door, staring at the darkness inside. This darkness wasn't anything seriously ominous. In fact… I kinda liked it. I knew the castle's design: darkness outlined with white. Almost like a lace creation.

But… where was home? It was here… but it didn't feel to be here.

Where can I possibly get more of Dimentio's _sweetly _menacing voice?!

Probably through this door, I guess.

…Wait… Did Dimentio appear to be a weary traveler? I had been sincerely told that a weary traveler was the one who needed me by his side…

Dimentio was so handsome… It had to be him! He had _traveled _to find me, then _traveled _through space and time to get me here! It HAD to be!

…Did it have to be?


	10. Chapter 10

I took careful steps, officially into Castle Bleck. From behind a screen, the darkness embedded into the walls was merely something that I figured to be a rather unique stroke of creativity. Here… it made my insides feel like a void. Eerie and… empty, this place was.

Nevertheless, white contours were scattered about, still outlining ways for me to travel.

There, I stood, where a multitude of different possible pathways would intersect. There were about six different doors advertising whatever lied behind them. Which door should I choose? Was everything here… truly the same? Would I run a risk of getting myself hopelessly lost so that nobody could find me?

Hushed murmuring came from one of the doors across the room.

I decided on what was closest and turned around to head toward the door to the right of the one back to Dimension D.

However, when my ears finally comprehended clear words out of that murmuring from across the way, a foot that was about to advance me forward retreated back, so that I simply stood.

Those words came from a devilish male voice.

"I just don't understand why Dimentio thought it would be a good idea to bring that girl here."

I quietly tiptoed to the staircase and hid behind it, physically trying to perk my ears up.

"I agree," said a female voice. "Dimentio's only dragged her into a predicament that will have to result in her death if we want… all worlds to be destroyed successfully."

My heart just about stopped.

"Her death?" the male voice inquired confusedly. "I understand we don't need her, but… everyone, especially everyone with an evil soul, wants her. Everyone in the evil community would kill to have her as their own, and all because she has an intelligence that can only come with someone from the Milky Way Galaxy. Any evil genius could use her to expand their damages further than anyone has ever dared to before! I'd hate to crush that with a swipe of my scepter…"

"Count Bleck," the female voice countered. "You do know that, uh… the Void has opened, like, in every galaxy, right? ALL worlds are being destroyed. Yeah, she'll die at the peak of it all… but it's just too early to wait. Our castle is just a castle, so… like… she could just find the front door and book it. Rat us out. The four heroes know nothing yet."

"Oh, dear…" said the male voice. "…That is true. Well, then… she will have to die immediately. What a pity."

Carefully, I tiptoed past the room until I reached the door next to the one all of these ominous details were flowing from. Then, I pushed it open as quietly as I could, which turned out to end in failure. As in the fact that the door sounded as if it was dragging along the ground. On the bright side, they could pass it off as Mimi, O'Chunks, or Dimentio passing through.

But since death was trying to grab me by the collar all of a sudden, fate was not to be tempted if I wanted to keep my head.

As soon as I stepped into the long corridor, I took a breath… then booked it. My limbs had almost never been on my side in athletic situations. I couldn't hang on a cliff if I were to slip into one. Once I fell… goodbye, world. And my legs, which were the limbs in question at this moment. Yeah, they were stronger, but they almost felt like long boulders when it came to running.

But there must be a surprising capability added to you when death is trying to grab you by the collar, huh? I just dashed, not necessarily focusing on anything else.

And I probably would have gotten closer to hope as well… if a new, yet familiar one hadn't stepped out into the middle of the way from a room which reeked with the fragrance of food.

O'Chunks, the brawny one with the facial hair. What a sight to behold: O'Chunks, holding a bowl of neatly-made ice cream! I stopped in my tracks. Yeah, I had considered continuing to run. What if everyone in this castle knew to come after my head?

There was barely a slit of space left in front of me. He was a big guy! You know that, right?

Besides, a shock-driven series of events played out. O'Chunks spun around and saw me, and in surprise, he lost hold of the bowl of ice cream.

Therefore, it made contact with my face.

Shocked with the cold, I quickly tore the bowl from my face and held it in my hands. A few bits of ice cream seeped in between my lips.

The stuff was unusually slimy… but the vanilla essence of the ice cream cast magic all throughout my mouth. Man… for plain ice cream… this was the best ever!

However… I could almost feel a switch get flicked within me…

"Oh, I-I'm terribly sorry, lass!" O'Chunks panicked. "You scared me, I lost control, and… don't scare me like that!"

As with any situation of this caliber, anger was a rarity.

"It's fine," I laughed, licking more ice cream off of what my tongue could reach between sentences. "…Oh my goodness gravy, this stuff is dang good! What's it made of?"

My memory suddenly told me that I had felt different during my time here… but now, I felt exactly like I did when I was in that forest by the Mushroom Kingdom. This delectable dessert had robbed me of a… dreamy heart essence…

At least O'Chunks was apologetic and _not _out for my blood.

"It's actually just normal ice cream," O'Chunks smiled proudly. "But it's lathered with Slimy Extract, which has the power to lift all curses!"

That explained it.

That explained this new old feeling.

I had felt as if I was surfing on air. Air riddled with unicorn magic. I had stepped out of Dimension D, hoping to find Dimentio and talk to him some more. His intelligent, yet evil tone… it enchanted me. He, himself, was the shortest hunk alive.

Now… why _had _he brought me here? Listening to Count Bleck and who I presumed to be Nastasia had made this question rise within myself. I thought, perhaps, that they desired to have me on the team as well.

Apparently, it was all Dimentio's doing. I felt used. Unnecessarily tagging along.

Dimentio no longer… interested me.

And I realized this as soon as I consumed just a drop of this Slimy Extract… which lifted _curses_…

My romantic interest in Dimentio was a curse… That tingly feeling I got on my back before we came here! I started _liking him then_! That evil magician… Maybe he desired me as more than a comrade?

If I have to be put under mind control to love you… you're not the one.

"Hey," said O'Chunks. "Are you alright, lass?"

Indeed, I had been spaced out in my spot.

"Yeah," I nodded, searching for a space that I could squeeze through.

"You're the gal Dimentio brought 'ere, right?" said O'Chunks.

"Yeah," I nodded. "It was great meeting you. Excuse me…"

I stepped closer, trying to show him that I wanted to get through. I was successful, for he stepped to his right. Quickly, I slipped through and began to walk further down this hallway.

"Where're ya goin'?" asked O'Chunks. "All that's that way is the front door."

To myself, I thanked O'Chunks. Yes… I was home free.

Then, I took a breath and got up to a running pace. Pretty soon, I saw the door and pushed it aside… being met with an outside world that was also just darkness with white contours.

"Wait a minute…" I heard O'Chunks say. "…Count! The lass Dimentio brought here… She's gotten away!"

So there was no choice but for me to run.

Through an eternity of negative space, my feet took me. As soon as I was a distance where the castle wasn't visible behind me, I looked around. That was when I heard that door slam open and Count Bleck shout "Off with her head! Find her!"

Death was now chasing me, so I continued to run.

Within a short while, my fatigue caught up with me. So much for this "second wind" that runners were blessed with… I couldn't go on any longer.

I tried to inch on, even through the pain. My lungs felt as if they were bleeding profusely, and all of me hurt.

Just as my hearing was somewhat shot due to that pre-collapse stage, I thought I could hear a high-pitched voice call "Juliet!"

I looked up, catching sight of a rainbow butterfly. Okay, my conscience was about to give out… Were my eyes messing with me?

I dared not to speak loudly. One word could exploit my location and give death a direct path.

Wait…

"…Tippi? Tiptron?" I asked with a shaking whisper. "Is that really you?"

"Yes," a voice said back. "It's Tippi!"

She didn't even question how I knew her name. Was I seriously famous?

"We're going back to Flipside, okay?" she asked, her voice seeming to shake itself. "They want you dead, I know. I saw it happen."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Ready?" asked Tippi.

"Hurry!" I said, daring to be a little louder.

Before I knew it, the world around me was lighter. Man, flipping through dimensions was like traveling at the speed of sound without millions of pounds of force slamming into you. We were just in Deathland, and now, we were in Flipside.

"Quickly, follow me," said Tippi. "There's someone who wants to see you who knew that I knew that you were in trouble. He says you're in dire danger for another reason that actually has nothing to do with… that."

She looked out to the sky… where there was the black Void that drew purple and black squares into it. The swallower of all worlds.

"I worry about that, too," Tippi sighed shakily. "I must find the four heroes. In fact… I-I'm sorry, but I must leave you now! There isn't a minute to waste. He knows what you look like. Not surprising, since you're widely known for being the girl from Milky Way… but he's in a black cloak, and he's waiting by one of the elevators on the first floor."

At that, she left. Not another word to be said.

A sign that waited patiently behind me read "Flipside: Floor 2."

I looked around until I found the elevator with the downward-pointing arrow. Just a minute later found me getting off the elevator at Floor 1. About to come face-to-face with my transportation to the most meaningful leg of my journey.

But did I still have people after my head? Dimentio had the power to travel through dimensions…

Nah. At least, that's what I thought when I met that shady hedgehog under the cloak… awaiting me by the other elevator…

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: When this goes up... YESTERDAY was the one-year anniversary of when I joined Fanfiction!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: I am SO sorry that I pretty much flat-out forgot to publish Chapter 10. I didn't even realize it until I started my fanfiction-writing ritual, which begins with looking at the previous week's chapter. Well… it's up now, and so is this! January 2****nd**** was my one-year anniversary of being here.**

* * *

><p>*Dimentio's POV*<p>

I learned it all that night.

The Count was pacing back and forth, seeming to fret himself into a panic, muttering "What am I going to do?" and "She'll tell everyone" and "I'm doomed…"

"…Count," I interjected quite worriedly. "What seems to be the matter?"

Then, he froze for a second. Then, he looked at me… and contorted his face into a cold stare.

"_You_…" he growled. "…You've unknowingly ruined everything! That girl you brought here has escaped the castle, and we all hunted for her, but she seems to have escaped our dimension!"

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "Why would the beautiful thing want to get away?! I put her under the dreamiest of romantic spells, and I knew that she had fallen into its trap! How could this happen?"

At that, O'Chunks popped in.

"…Count?" he said bashfully. "I, er… have a confession to make. I figured it out. The lass scared me into dropping the ice cream that was in my hand. It landed on her face…" He trailed off worriedly.

We both stared at him intensely.

"…What did you put in that ice cream, you dastardly fool?" I growled.

"See, that's the thing," O'Chunks said with a laugh that sung fear. "It was lathered with... S-Slimy Extract. It enhances the vanilla flavor, and I just now realized that it lifts curses and a curse was… kinda keepin' her here…"

The poor man went to bed with a scar on his temple, worked into his skin by the magic that was cast by my hand. Only one spell could be worked out; after that, my rage blinded my sense of comprehension to the point where not a word was to be spoken for a while.

She was gone forever, and simply because of the endless possibilities of her location. I only knew one dimension that she was not at… one out of millions. It crushed me knowing that that one dimension was mine…

*Juliet's POV*

The body that lurked beneath the cloak was standing, yet resting casually against the elevator. It didn't move, so I tried to disguise my breath as I stared at the face that hid beneath the darkness.

Had he been waiting so long that he had dozed off? It appeared so. His black-furred eyes were closed, and the red highlights around them were severely shaded by the cloak's shadow.

Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes just a bit, but enough that I could see the crimson in them. The crimson that had a casually-reflected speck of the Flipside light.

Of course, when he noticed that I was staring into them, his eyes widened, and he jumped a bit.

"Shadow?" I asked curiously.

Indeed, it was. It had to be. As far as I knew, nobody else had those shoes that allowed him to skate on any terrain…

"So you've arrived at last," he said confidently. "Listen, you could potentially be in grave danger. Doctor… er… an evil genius from my world will be arriving here soon to try to manipulate that void in the sky. He is working hard to try to find you at the same time. We need you at Mobius."

Those last five words were somehow some of the best ever to hit my ears.

Then, he said "I need you to hold my hand for a second. No questions."

So not a question was asked, and our hands united instantaneously.

"And when we get there," he continued. "You might notice that you've… changed. Don't worry about it. CHAOS… CONTROL!"

At that, that same feeling of moving through space and time at the speed of sound occurred, and I was soon in a meadow by a forest. All of it looked rather pure and green, the air was filled with an exciting warmth, and I caught sight of a familiar sunflower resting calmly by a tree.

The same Void still fluctuated in the otherwise blue sky, though…

So this _was _Mobius. A land of granted dreams… for me, anyway.

Then, Shadow calmly let go of my hand, then grabbed ahold of his cloak and practically tore it off of himself. The black hedgehog with the red highlights and the serious demeanor… it was seriously him…

"Follow me," he said, looking at me. "Don't worry, everyone was expecting your arrival. _Some _have been eagerly awaiting it…"

The last sentence almost seemed to be murmured under his breath.

Most importantly… I had fur all over me… and it _grew _from me! I reached back and felt my own _tail _brush up against my hand. I felt my ears and my face, and everything came together.

Change. I was a fox now. A Mobian. One of them…

Sweet!


	12. Chapter 12

I just followed Shadow for what felt to be several minutes. Feeling the grass brush up against my pant legs… This was a true definition of nature.

I soon saw that we were approaching a tree that stood tall, almost like a warrior standing up to the sunshine.

When we retreated under its shade, Shadow stopped. I lost track and almost ran right into him.

"This is where everyone said they'd be meeting you," said Shadow.

At that, I sat. Now this was true relaxation within nature. Time to think, I suppose. Time to go over what the _hell _had just happened to me until something else happens.

And it wasn't even the fact that I was a Mobian, either. That, I was almost… hoping for. Is that weird?

But for three years, I was within the jaws of a trap set by a guy who saw me as a mere female rather than anyone he would ever truly love. Then, I more _literally _fell into the trap of a magician who actually meant better for me, despite what other things were running through his demented little head. And now, this.

Weary traveler… Where was that weary traveler? At this rate, why haven't I found him by now? Shadow. Was it Shadow?! Couldn't be…

As I sat, staring at the Void, which I had just spotted in the distance, I heard Shadow sit beside me and ask "So, uh… how is life?" Shadow. Asking something like _that_?

"Hectic," I huffed. "I… It was just… hectic."

He simply nodded.

"Do you think that thing will ever get closed?" I questioned, feeling a sudden sense of security with Shadow by my side.

"Hope so," he sighed. "It's out of our control."

Then, a voice. The first time my ears had picked up a sound I would eventually find to be sweeter that chocolate.

"They'll be able to manage it," it said confidently.

At that, we both looked up, and I caught sight of him. Yeah… _him_. The white hedgehog with the futuristic boots, the fluff of fur on his chest, and the eyes that were as golden as a painted sunset. He seemed just a bit familiar. He rung a jingle bell in my mind… and that's proportionate to if Sonic were to ring a church bell.

What was this guy's name?!

He walked up to us and instantly set eyes on me. His eyes almost seemed to flash my way. He then knelt down to talk to me, pure amazement seeming to circle his eyes.

"So you're the girl from Milky Way," he marveled. "You know so much. I'm really glad you were able to come here."

"Even if it's because of that?" I laughed, pointing up at the ever-growing Void. He joined in on my laugh, making me feel totally accomplished.

"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged and smiled. "I-I'm Silver. It's… really a pleasure to meet you!"

At that, he put a hand out for me to shake. That same amazement seemed to dance faster in his eyes.

I shook his hand gratefully… feeling an ever-so-slight blush coming on at the back of my skin.

He made me smile stupidly. An impossible feat for many a year's time. This guy was really cool, and for some reason… the desire to hang out with him held more than what met my mind's eye.

And unlike any guy… or anyone I ever knew, for that matter, Silver was staring straight into my eyes. Almost as if he was trying to form some sort of telepathic connection up between us.

Oh, Silver… you only made me blush even harder. You did what you were trying to, but in a completely different way.

Looking away and rubbing the back of his neck, he proposed "So… may I kinda show you around this general area?"

At that, he stood back up, but rather than starting to walk off like any other friend-like being, he extended a hand. I took it and stood up gratefully.

"Sure!" I continued to smile.

My heart felt warm.


	13. Chapter 13

All of a sudden, a blue blur melted into view in the distance. I barely knew the majestic young hedgehog standing in front of me, yet anyone could look at an azure blur and immediately recognize a different, speedier hedgehog.

I mean, I had heard the tales, but I had just taken my hand out of Silver's when Sonic appeared behind him, saying "Hey!" and scaring Silver out of his wits as a result.

He flinched in shock before turning around and saying "Oh… Hi, Sonic!"

"Hi!" Sonic chuckled a bit. "This was where everyone said the-"

He was cut off by nothing but the sight that entered his eyes when his head turned my way.

"The girl from Milky Way?" he asked, pointing at me skeptically.

"I… guess that's me," I giggled a bit. "So… I'm presuming that this isn't the Milky Way Galaxy?"

"You would be right," said Shadow.

"Wow," said Sonic. "I'm… almost a bit jealous. What's it like?"

Truth rose up from within my throat.

"Don't be jealous," I sighed. "Your world is beautiful no matter where you go. Back where I was, it's only beautiful in a few places. The rest of it is filled with a… mute modernization. It's not… too different, I guess."

Both Silver and Sonic were paying an intent attention to my answer. Shadow… only half so. His eyes were closed for a minute there, almost as if thoughts were running through his mind like asteroids through the Milky Way Galaxy's famous asteroid belt.

"You guys introduced her kindly, right?" asked Sonic.

"_I _was just about to show her around," Silver smiled triumphantly.

"Show her around?" asked Sonic, a laugh brewing in his tone. "Dude… give her a map. Do you remember how huge Mobius is? It takes me, like, 3 hours to run through it all!"

Shadow grunted "It would take _them _around three weeks if they never stopped."

"Oh…" Silver said, looking defeated and reddening just a bit. "…Yeah, that's true."

"I could get you one real quick!" said Sonic, right before taking off in nothing but his blur again… then returning in around 10 seconds flat and holding out a freshly folded map to me. "Here you go!"

"Thanks," I smiled, taking the map and looking it over. Hmm… I guess I'd like it here for more reasons than one. Twinkle Park, Emerald Coast… Very beautiful. How fun!

All of a sudden, a low, 5-second rumble could be heard from above us. A brewing thunderstorm, hidden in some way or form. Once it was over, we were all perplexed as we looked up at a perfectly blue sky.

Then, Sonic exclaimed.

"Hey, that purple thing shrunk!"

We looked over. Indeed, it was about half the size that it was now, as threatening as it still was. It still ate squares and attached itself to the sky as we knew it, yet from where we stood, it was about twice the size of a dime.

"There is a home set up for you, Juliet, just west of that forest," said Shadow.

"O-Oh!" I panicked just a bit. "I'm sorry! I never did reveal my name! Yeah… i-it's Juliet."

"Onward!" Silver chanted, leading the group to the west.

It felt to be a long walk, but my body did not like the shortest bike ride. We all eventually stopped, looking upon my place of residence. The paint hung on to the walls like mountain climbers without rope, but whatever was left was a pastel blue. The door was a turquoise. The mailbox waited patiently on the wall beside it. The porch was outlined with a white railing and about 5 pillars, and there were 3 rickety steps that would lead to it all.

I looked to both sides of me, more distant than Shadow and Silver. We were on a road? Huh. We were on a road, which was outlined with the occasional other house. To my left a long way was a farm, a long distance behind my house was a park, to my right a long distance was another yet denser forest, and behind me a long distance was a city, actually. I wondered how it got there.

"If you need us, we'll be around," Sonic shrugged. "My siblings and I actually live down the street." He pointed a thumb to the east.

Woah, what?! Oh… I had forgotten he had siblings for a second…

"Good to know," I smiled, stepping up the few steps and putting my hand on the metal doorknob of the first door. "Check on me every so often, please?"

"Of course!" said Silver. He seemed pretty excited to assure me of that. What a gentleman!

At that, I stepped inside. The bottom floor was ¾ white-carpeted living room, ¼ linoleum kitchen. Across from the white loveseat that rested by the kitchen was a television, and across from the front door was a set of red-painted and white-finished steps.

Quaint. I liked it.

*Silver's POV*

I had heard of tales from the Milky Way Galaxy. Within those processes, I was most likely going to cringe. Humanity there was so… self-centered. Everyone seemed to be out for blood and… *ahem* _pleasure_, dare I say. It was only like that for a percentage of Mobius; for Milky Way, it must have felt like being surrounded by active missiles.

How had such a sweet girl made it out of that with a working mindset and a polished conscience? She was a girl with a special soul. Her outlook was as bright as a billion Chaos Emeralds, her voice as fluttery as a butterfly in the wind, her eyes were as deep as a sea filled with lively life…

How had someone so _truly beautiful _lived through the war and the hatred of the Milky Way Galaxy?

A better question would go as follows: What was she doing to me?


	14. Chapter 14

*Juliet's POV*

The rest of that day was a Sonic within itself. It wasted no time to speed by, taking a rest only when starlight was cast down upon the world, and when fatigue was cast down upon me with a storm-like force.

I wasted no time to trudge upstairs and locate the door to my room. There were three other doors there in that hallway. One stood between me and the bathroom. The others stood between me and spare bedrooms.

My room's walls were glazed with a pastel of purple. My ceiling was painted with a glittery pastel of yellow. A ceiling fan hung uncomfortably from it. My bed sheets turned out to be a plain blue, and sitting patiently on the bed were 3 pillows, one red and two beige. The fluffy carpet was a darker beige.

That was all I remember picking up before jumping into my bed and shutting eye. Shutting eye and ending my very first day on Mobius.

I somehow knew that this journey was going to be awesome. The place was beautiful and heartwarming, rather than mute and… life-like. And the people! That had to be the best part. Those that lived on it probably enriched the experience threefold. The place's speed-of-sound mascot. The mysterious one who you knew always hid a heart.

And… Silver. Silver… the one with the eyes of pure gold. That definitely had to be the color of his heart as well. I wondered what sort of power ran through those symbols on his boots and gloves. Telekinesis. That could probably make someone kinda like an overlord.

You know what? He was cute. I had to admit.

I smiled in my sleep as that fact ran by me again.

He was like one of those guys who was both masculine and innocent. The sweetest romantic. A real sweetheart.

Over and over again, my heart would repeat the word "sweetheart" whenever I thought about him.

What… What would it be like if I were his? That was an interesting thought.

Before I knew it, the night flew by. I opened my eyes to a dull morning's sunlight, muffled by the pink and white curtains in front of windows that were glazed with the first chills of autumn.

I was… still here. Wow…

I shot up, realizing that all this time… I had never questioned the beginning. That package. The package that came out of nowhere and stole me from a harsh winter's day and took me into the custody of the land of my dreams.

Of course! Of course I never questioned it, and never wanted to. The land of my dreams. The _life _of my dreams was the one I had. Questioning would be like asking for it to end. That was the last thing I ever wanted ever again.

I wasted no time in trotting downstairs and tearing through the cupboards… figuratively. There was food (_thank _you, whoever put that there). Of course. But lots of it. Meaning a bigger multitude of choices. Amazingly enough, most of it was stuff I loved! They just… set up this house for me. Whoever _they _were.

I eventually decided on a good old bowl of my favorite cereal.

A TV sat patiently in the corner. A decently-sized one, to be exact.

Right as I was getting up to wash my bowl and spoon (wasn't ready to start that famous "pile for later" yet), the door was tapped. Knuckle-tapped, thrice.

Excitedly, I stepped over to the door, scanning it over to see of it had one of those things you could look out from to see who was standing there.

It did not. So much for utter safety, I guess. And that thought didn't even occur to me until now.

Graciously, I cast the door aside and was immediately hit with a microscopic emotional tidal wave.

Silver stood there, holding a warm smile on his face and holding his hands behind his back.

"Hi there!" he greeted me.

"Hi!" I smiled. "How has this day been for you?"

"Wonderful!" he said. "First off, look!" He pointed at the sky.

The perfectly cloudy sky. The sky was covered with clouds… and nothing more. Not only was it my type of sky, but it was one that told me that life was safe for now. The Void was booted from existence completely.

"The heroes did it!" Silver rejoiced. "Whoever they are, they saved us all!"

"Sweet!" was all I could think to say in reply.

He turned to look at me again.

"Have you… had a well morning?" he asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm… not really sure what to do with the day, though."

"…Me neither," Silver shrugged.

"Y-You can come in if you'd like," I offered, trying to make my smile as gracious as possible.

This offer seemed to hit Silver in the face with a bit of surprise.

"You… mean it?" he asked, blushing a bit.

"Totally," I assured him.

I left the door, walking in, desperately trying to look around for something for us to do together. Could something just… fall from the air, _please_?! I had the mentality that told me that spending time with Silver was this once-in-forever chance.

Oh, what did I know?

"Hey…" said Silver. "You have a DSi?!"

"I do?" I asked myself. I did… back on Earth…

Then, my eyes landed on the table by the couch. I did. It sat there, seeming to call out to me.

"I-I do!" I laughed a bit.

I walked over to it, picking my newly-recovered Nintendo DSi up and scanning the game port, which did, indeed, hold a game.

I opened the DSi, seeing that the game was Nintendogs.

"I-I've got one as well," said Silver. "What game do you have?"

"Nintendogs," I replied. "The Labrador one."

"…I've got Mario Kart DS!" said Silver.

An awkward silence. Perhaps we just wanted to stop and listen to the day's plan formulate in the air between us?

"Would you…" I asked. "Uh… would you like to…"

"…Play it together?" said Silver, looking as if he wanted to comfort me.

"Yeah!" I said.

"Why were you so shy to ask?" Silver asked happily. "I would _love _to. Hey… I don't live too far from here. I'll go get my DSi real quick, alright?"

"Cool!" I smiled.

Laying on that couch and waiting for him to come back was like being in a clothes-acceptable bubble bath of happiness.

Eventually, he opened the door, walking in, holding his white DSi proudly in his hand. He then sat at the other end of the couch.

How did my DSi get here anyway?! And not at Peach's castle… but _here_!

Such questions were not of the essence.

As our systems connected through Download Play, we waited.

The one question that stood to stick around in my mind was as follows: What was he doing to me?! Yeah, I admitted to myself that he was cute, but…

But my heart was racing silently. My mind felt as if it were constantly dashing on air, and I had forgotten about the ground's presence altogether. This moment felt like the best ever. The first moment ever that my light heart begged not to leave.

I peeked out at him from behind my DSi. And doing so pasted a smile on my face.

I'm pretty sure we spent the entire day with our eyes glued to our handhelds. You know… They depict Mario Kart as the bane of all friendships.

The opposite turned out to be true. Each time we passed each other, the passer would laugh triumphantly. Each time we used red or green shells on each other, the user would laugh and say "Take that!" Yet each time a COM player attacked either one of us, sympathy took effect. The unaffected would say something like "Aww, that jerk."

It was like the ultimate goal between both of us was to be neck-and-neck for first place, each time.

The sun began to set by the time our gaming session had to cease. We probably would have gone on forever… if Silver's DSi was able to. He had warned me, about ten minutes prior to my sudden disconnection from the game, that his battery had gotten a bit tired. Then, the sudden disconnection.

"Aww," I pouted.

"Dang," Silver sighed. "I should probably head home anyway, but… I-I... seriously had fun being with you t-today."

"You mean that?" I asked awkwardly.

"Well… yeah," said Silver, standing up and heading toward the door. "You're… r-really cool."

His face was a bit darker than I remembered.

"Why… thank you for saying that," I smiled. "I… hope to see you again soon."

"Me too," Silver smiled back. "I'll see you later!"

"Bye!" I waved.

At that, he walked out. And I was left basking in my own thoughts.

He was super cool, I knew. But… I didn't think that time with him would be more meaningful than any other time I spent.

It was, though.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: A DSi <strong>_**would **_**be so behind the times, huh? I have a 3DS XL now… and at this time, I do not plan on fretting over this "New 3DS" that's coming out.**


	15. Chapter 15

…And time passed. Ten months and the advancement of my age came upon me before I had even seen it coming.

And over those ten months, other things were growing along with myself. My feelings would have to top that list like a cherry atop a sundae.

Indeed. As I spent more and more time with Silver, I knew that something was forming. I… only wanted to spend more time with him! Ah, the words escape me at the moment, and possibly because I could never have caught them myself, they were zooming around in my head so fast. Charming… cute… _sweetheart_… those were just a few.

I remember a couple of moments quite well that only seemed to nag these feelings forward.

One was at a spring visit to Twinkle Park. Mid-March, when the birds get the courage to begin singing again.

Here's how that night went.

I awaited the knocking at my door with clammy hands, feverishly going over everything in my mind, constantly wondering "Am I forgetting something?"

Just when I thought I'd have to take up a gaming session to calm myself, the knocking came.

Silver and I were going to meet Sonic and Blaze at Twinkle Park, where Blaze would meet me for only the second time. The first had been a simple introduction, though. It's amazing how fun bonds people, and Sonic must have picked up on this.

I quickly jumped over the door and opened it to see Silver's bright face.

"Well…" he smiled. "Twinkle Park's not too far away, actually. I'm guessing you haven't been there?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head and stepping outside.

"I've only been there once before," said Silver. "And I remember it being one of the most magical places ever to exist. I am _honored_… t-to be able to take you there."

His heart was the epitome of the word "sweet."

The entire walk there, a couple of realizations were pelting me like the breeze.

I could soon see twinkling colors from somewhere up ahead. Well… Twinkle Park honored its name quite well.

When we got close to it, the lights reflected off of Silver's eyes in pretty gleams, like little dots of magic.

They do say that the eyes are… a mirror of the beholder's soul, right? In that case, Silver's soul spoke happiness in a million words. Pessimism was not a part of the dictionary, and "abandon hope" was a banned combination.

A great mindset for a time like this.

I found myself getting lost for a few seconds, just… observing his eyes…

Actually, that's an understatement. I got lost in Silver's eyes for what felt to be a split second. He looked so happy, and that made me feel more giddy than… just any happy person could make me. I suddenly lived for it.

We approached the front gate, where we approached a periwinkle badger. He appeared to be a lonely gatekeeper, but something told me that there was still that "the-season-has-just-begun" liveliness in his complexion.

Instinctively, Silver and I reached out to hand the money for our admission to the man.

But then, he suddenly stopped us with a "Hang on, you two!" He put out a declining hand, laughing a bit.

Silver and I glanced at each other confusedly before looking back at the gatekeeper.

"Read it and weep," he chuckled. "You guys get in free."

He was pointing his thumb toward a nearby wooden sign... and my breath was instantly removed from my body.

The sign read "Cute couples can get in free."

"O-Oh…" I stuttered.

Before I could blink again, Silver had taken my hand and pulled me through the gate, officially into the park.

We looked at each other once more before heading on our epic quest to find Sonic and Blaze. He still seemed to be a bit shocked by the fact that we seemed perfect as a… cute couple. His face was a bright red for a split second.

As was mine.

"Hey!" came an excited voice from our right.

There Sonic and Blaze were, quickly walking toward us.

"Wait…" Blaze began to chuckle. "…T-They did it to you guys as well?!"

"They… thought we were a cute couple," I laughed, trying to force my blush not to come back.

"They did that to us, too," said Sonic, a blush of his own coming on.

I even remember, so vividly, the conversation Blaze and I had… admittedly, while waiting for Sonic and Silver to return from… duties. We sat on a run-down bench, but… all the same, I really got to let her become a friend. Our conversation started like this.

"So, what's it like at Milky Way?" she asked enthusiastically.

"It's not nearly as beautiful as it is here," I sighed. "There's more hate, more bullying… more pollution than Eggman could ever produce on his own, I guess…"

Then, after she exhausted her Milky Way question library, she asked me this.

"What do you think of us so far?"

"You're really smart, Sonic's seriously one of the coolest guys I've ever met," I replied. "And Silver… he's a really awesome… friend."

Oh, how I wanted to come right out and say "I love him…"

Blaze then smiled and raised a curious brow at me.

Then, the boys returned.

Ah… I remember that night so vividly now… It will be a relaxing memory.

*Silver's POV*

In all seriousness, I was seriously _honored _to be the one trusted to escort Juliet to such a beautiful place.

Sonic and Blaze had offered to come with me… but for a change in atmosphere, I decided to decline them. They deserved fun by themselves before we came to crash the party! Yeah, that's… why.

Day after day, my mood was generally the same, in the 6 months I had known Juliet: happy, content, and… suddenly, loving. Not once could any hate comment or… vividly horrifying memory ever get me down!

That night, at Twinkle Park, the Ferris wheel's seats only had enough space for two each. Based on how we were positioned in the line… and how I had… subconsciously aimed to stick with her, she and I got our own compartment.

It seemed to be destined for us to go around at least once before stopping… but then, we didn't. We stopped on a dime, so suddenly that our compartment was swinging fearfully. Juliet tensed a bit, but was soon calm again.

The confused chatter of those around us almost seemed to sound with an echo throughout the theme park grounds.

Then, a wretched sound. Metal was clearly grinding on metal.

We were almost toward the bottom, so I was able to look back and associate the sound with the maker: the poor operator, who constantly tried to press buttons, but would only be met with that horrid noise and a stationary Ferris wheel. Those who could hopped out (really just the compartment that was right by the gate).

"You know…" Juliet sighed. "For a while… that's quite alright. It's a nice excuse to sit in a seat even decently elevated from the ground for a while. Only a better view of the stars."

I looked at her, and the light twinkling in her eyes. Her sea-blue eyes, almost as deep as the sea itself.

I was suddenly okay with being up here my entire life.

We spoke, in fluent conversation. About the night, about Milky Way… I told her some things about what I loved and believed in. She seemed to take these details in with great attention. Not only that, but the way she put her own words together… I could feel the poet reaching out from her heart.

Whenever she looked away to look around, whether it be at the stars or back at the poor ride operator, I… found myself staring at her. Her voice echoed in my head and brought me ecstasy. Her eyes almost felt to be the mirror to her soul.

Yeah… if it weren't for the importance of bodily nutrients and… cleansing, for lack of a better word… I could have spent eternity on that Ferris wheel.

Eventually, we were slowly lowered down and let off, compartment by compartment. Leaving ours felt like leaving something as magical as a date.

As the four of us walked back toward the front gate of Twinkle Park, I noticed three things.

First off, the operator of the Ferris wheel was officially chaining off the entrance. It felt to be a bummer…

Second, I noticed how Sonic's and Blaze's hands hung… so closely to each other. A little less than half of the time, I begged for them to collide.

Finally… I realized that there was really only one fact of what I loved that I hadn't offered to Juliet as a conversation. And there was a reason for that. The time wasn't ripe for something so… deeply true.


	16. Chapter 16

*Juliet's POV*

Two more months after those initial ten passed 5 times as quickly, and… they were when I felt as if Silver's heart had a hand that would never let go of my own heart. When I was absolutely sure of what I was feeling… and what I wanted.

Silver and I… We constantly found our timelines united. Side by side, we'd waste precious time playing video games, or handing words to each other, sometimes on a silver platter.

I still cherish those memories to this day. I lay my head down at night and relish in the joy and happiness that we were blindly taking for granted. How we couldn't control the way it… brewed this devilishly sweet concoction of feelings in both of our hearts. Well, I was only aware of what went on in my own. Yeah, I could only wonder. Trying to dodge the signs that friendship was all he'd ever see in me.

It was one of those fortunate September nights that warm summer air could still reach when everything came to a head.

Silver knocked on the door. The same set of knocks that constantly seemed to make my nerves come absolutely alive.

He met me at said door, an even sweeter smile than usual on his face.

And… holding a picnic basket?

"What's the basket for?" I asked.

"A proposition I'd like to make," he told me. "Would you, Juliet, like to join me on an evening picnic?" He glanced up at the star-spangled sky. "Or… n-nighttime picnic?"

"You know, I'd love to," I nodded. "I haven't eaten yet, and… I think it'd be fun."

15 minutes later found us approaching a tree at the top of a hill, a distance east of, and overlooking, Twinkle Park.

The breeze would whisk any unsuspecting blanket away from anywhere. Therefore, we just sat against the tree, the basket sitting in between us, and Silver sitting to my right.

We held a nice and meaningful conversation while watching the lights ballroom dance with each other and munching on grilled-cheese sandwiches. The best I'd ever eaten in my entire living life, to be exact! He told me that the way that the bread was prepared was a method that Blaze came up with. A chef, that cat should be.

After that statement, I believe, was when Silver sighed and stared up at the stars. I did so as well.

They twinkled in harmony, alright. Could the beating of our hearts possibly have been acting the same way?

"H-Hey," he said. "T-These stars are absolutely beautiful, aren't they?"

"Most certainly," I nodded.

The rustling that came from beside me told me that Silver had moved. I glanced at him to find that he seemed… closer. Just a tad, but enough that… none but a few blades of grass stood between my right hand and his left.

He sighed, and this sigh… bugged me. It seemed to include a bit of… nerve and stress, for lack of better words.

He seemed a bit anxious about something…

He sighed again, and seemed to breathe confidence in as if it were surfing the swirls of the wind.

"There's something I really need for you to know," he said. "And... Well, let's begin with the stars. Notice how beautiful they are? Aren't they pretty?"

"Yeah," I nodded, glancing back up at them.

"No matter how impossible it may be…" said Silver. "T-There's... living beings where… You can multiply the beauty of the stars by 1,000… and that's how beautiful these somebodies are."

"I wonder who they could be," I asked, both legitimately deep in thought… and raising a subconscious eyebrow.

"However," Silver continued, his tone getting a bit gentler and hushed. "There's another somebody whose beauty happens to be that of these… c-celestial bodies multiplied by infinity rather than 1,000. Multiply the beauty of the stars by infinity…" He took a deep, yet dreamy breath. "And… that's truly how beautiful I think you are."

In surprise, my eyes immediately shifted to him, his sights shifted to myself as well. His cheeks were definitely the color of a water colored rose.

"Y-You… mean that?" I asked, feeling my face begin to burn and an eternal smile stretch across my face.

"In every possible way," said Silver, smiling back at me, in a way that absolutely beguiled my heart. "And might I add… The others whose beauties just so happen to outmatch that of the stars… They seem merely beautiful in body, in comparison. Their eyes might gleam in just the right colors or ways. Their bodies may… bring out the lion in their mates. It's how poor fools who truly think they have more… are left in the dust in a time of utter need."

"A-And…" I asked. "…You're saying I'm different from that?"

"Y-You…" he answered. "You, unlike those aforementioned, have a beautiful mind as well as a beautiful soul. Well… You're kind, yet only to those who deserve it, and those who do get your kindness get a lot of it! You're intelligent, you're creative, you never let anything you truly want escape from your potential grasp… Your talent never fails to amaze me. Describing everything I l-like about you would take an eternity."

I was so touched… I thought I could feel the burn of some tears nuzzle up against my eyes.

"You're my best friend," he said. "But… Agh, I've had something on my mind for a long time now, and it's killing me!"

Startled, I asked "And what would that be?"… soon afterward feeling like an idiot.

I looked at him, and how fidgety he seemed.

"…I-I'm just…" he said, composing himself ever so slightly and looking directly at me. "...What I've just told y-you… I've known for as long as I've known you. If I tell you now, I'll save myself from being consumed in the uncertainty…"

My heart raced.

"L-Like I said before," said Silver. "I think you're the most beautiful girl that ever existed. You're my best friend and all, but… b-but… oh…"

"I'll hear you out," I said, gently embracing his hand with mine. "Go ahead and tell me. Don't be nervous."

"…Juliet…" he confessed, taking a breath. "…You're my best friend, but… but I love you!"

My heart pounded against my chest. I… wasn't sure how to react physically. I was stunned. Soldered to my spot by the warmth of my one dream coming true. Wait…

…Weary traveler?

He stared more confidently at me.

"Multiply the beauty of the stars by infinity, and that's how beautiful you are," Silver sighed, seeming to calm down a bit. "…I've been… kinda deeply in love with you, alright? You… exhilarate my heart. You give meaning to my life, you make me happier than anyone else… At the end of the day, you always bring a smile to my face. I was hoping I'd get the courage to… to ask if we could be more than friends…"

"First off, don't think for a second that you've disgusted me or anything like that," I said quickly. "Um… Well, all that that you said… Oh, you've made me so happy! And to be totally honest…"

"Y-Yeah?" said Silver, leaning in a bit more.

"…I think I'm…" I admitted. "…I think I'm… in love with you as well."

"Really?" he asked, hope being restored to his tone, and the smile returning to his face.

"Yeah," I smiled back, not being able to help staring into his eyes. "You're really sweet, smart, and… Going into that would take an eternity as well."

"…B-But what does this mean for us, do you think?!" asked Silver, suddenly putting a hand on my shoulder. "Are we… officially…"

"Together?" I replied. "Well… if you still mean it… Why don't we make it obvious by, uh… verbally asking the question?"

"Question?" he asked confusedly.

"Well, er…" I explained. "…Maybe, like… You verbally ask me if I'll be your girlfriend. That way, it shall be forever documented in our memories!"

"Written down as the best memory to ever have been made," he sighed. "Yeah… So…"

He turned his hand over so that he could intertwine his fingers with mine.

"…Juliet…" he proposed, his smile the biggest and sweetest one I had ever seen on him. "…Will you… be mine?"

"I will, Silver!" I said, beginning to tear up. "I certainly will!"

At that, we both leaned into a warm hug that felt to last for ages. Perhaps we both sat there, tearing up into each other's shoulders.

From a prince just saying a few words before making out with my young self… to a magician who put me under a spell to do goodness-knows-whatever bidding… to here, where and how it was all meant to be. Natural and… uncontrollable.

Weary traveler?

Suddenly, he leaned back a bit, to where our arms were still wrapped around each other, but we were face-to-face.

"I've never been in a relationship before," said Silver. "So go easy on me! I promise you this, though: I will be the most loving boyfriend ever! I'll treat you like a princess, unless you don't want me to. I will do everything in my power to reinforce the fact that I love you. I love you so much, and I will show it."

Everything rendered me absolutely speechless, so it ended up that I could only stare into his eyes.

Would there be a final gesture to close what… may have been the most magical night that I can remember?

I pulled Silver just a bit closer to try to signal to him that it would totally be okay. In actuality… it'd further make my night.

Fortunately, he seemed to pick up on this. Slowly, but surely, we leaned closer together and shut our eyes. Tilting our heads, and… for a couple of seconds, locking lips.

When a tingly sensation shot through me, and when it felt as if my heart was literally smiling, I knew that three years of time was enough to make that huge difference.

Weary traveler… Have I stumbled upon thee at last?

Yes… That was where I feel my heart truly began to beat the blood that defines one as truly living and not simple surviving. A hole was cemented; I was no longer broken.

And I had had one other lover, who… I want to say was rather a luster, not a lover.

But at the time, I had the mindset that I could have been walking into any old relationship.

I had no idea… the power time has.


	17. Chapter 17

*Silver's POV*

Life glided on for almost two more years. Two New Years struck by midnight kisses, the vows that we'd spend another year in each other's arms… Two Valentine's Days, where I knew what it felt like to be able to celebrate love the way advertising wanted me to… Two St. Patrick's Days, where I needed no more than Juliet to feel the luck only a million-leaf clover could grant me otherwise… two Fourth of Julys, watching the fireworks, only to realize that staring at Juliet would grant me a more beautiful sight… one cozy Christmas of intending one gift exchange, but with each other's presence making that two.

I was seventeen at this point, Juliet being a modest sixteen. Still, we both often felt as if we were standing, tiptoed, one step away from the trench that was official adulthood.

…Quite honestly, it's sad that it took me so long to realize it…. See, if you were to look back at the night when we became Silviet (in other words… lovers…), you'd see a Silver the Hedgehog who was merely caught up in a frenzy of romantic feelings for Juliet. A Silver who knew that she did something happily different to him. Even he wasn't that sure of what, exactly, it was.

For until Juliet, I had no experience with true love.

In the present, you're looking upon a Silver the Hedgehog who knows Juliet as the only reprieve from a gloomy day. A gloomy _life_, to be precise. A Silver who only ever wants to spend life wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. A Silver who knows every moment that she's even in sight to be the most treasurable moment known to man.

It was within a year, actually, that I began to consider what turned out to be the truth.

"Could… she be the one?" I asked myself, night in and night out.

As time slid on, I realized the danger of placing so much faith in a first love, based on what Blaze so insistently advised me.

My odds were… simply an exception, though.

She had to be the one. If not… then who the hell could ever make me feel so alive?!

*Juliet's POV*

"Could he… be my soulmate?" I asked, night in and night out.

Even as I shed my shell and became a teenager, rather than being merely classified as one, my absolute love for Silver never ended up fading out for good. It always stuck around, even when I was scalp-deep in doubt.

It was simple: Nobody else could give my life so much meaning. Nobody dashed my life with so much happiness.

It's hard to explain. He was a part of me, in short. While Mario and… even Dimentio… may have been taped to the walls of my heart, that tape got wet. Mario tried to nail himself to my heart, actually, by trying to nail me.

Silver first asked my permission, then soldered himself to my heart. No matter how hard I could ever have tugged and pulled, he'd never budge.

Who the hell do you think you could get who could have that same effect, huh? Try it; the stars would slap your hand away before you could even dare try.

*Princess Peach's POV*

"Luigi," I sighed. "I realize how daunting this task will be, but… we need her."

It was a beautiful, starlit night.

I eyed the golden, star-shaped cannon that stood proudly atop a distant tower. Luigi would be visiting the stars tonight…

He had to. We were late enough as it is; every conceivable world could have retaliation ready to fire. Juliet was a precious creature. If she were trained to be a warrior… she'd be utterly unstoppable. Absolutely any pair of hands would fall to be able to direct her power.

For she was from the Milky Way.

"I-I understand," Luigi shivered. "So I-a just need to grab-a Juliet from-a Mobius?"

"That's it," I smiled. "Send a letter if you've got either the girl or a problem. There should be post-comets up there."

Luigi could simply nod, although he had a huge smile. He finally had the chance to outshine his brother by giving our world unimaginable power and authority. Normally, I would have enlisted that older brother for the job, but as odds would have it, that brother was a lying, cheating, lustful piece of crap who didn't deserve to look in Juliet's direction.

Good luck, Luigi.

You'll soon be flipping and dodging fire.


	18. Chapter 18

*Narrator's POV*

A few galactic hops, skips, and steps takes us over to Juliet's planet of origin… where one block was booming hectically with chatter and suspense.

Only an interdimensional tunnel separated two members of the SWAT team. One sat on the blue couch that had supported Juliet just 6 years ago, staring daggers at both his walkie-talkie and the innocent looking package that sat proudly beside him.

The other was reporting back about a whole new land… One with mushrooms and a stage set-like scenery, and mushroom people walking about…

Earth to Mushroom Kingdom. Do you read me?

"Ask one of them if they know where Juliet is!" Earth's soldier stressed.

"Roger," sighed the Mushroom Kingdom's soldier.

That guy, however, was barely getting over the daze that came from the fact that this place was even… existent. His head spun. He couldn't convince himself that he wasn't tripping.

Nevertheless, Juliet showed up in his mind's eye… and he knew that he had to face one of these spore people and… communicate with them.

"E-Excuse me?" he stammered, bending down to look at a blue-spotted one. "Would you happen to know a girl by the name of Juliet?"

The mushroom person spun around. Horror immediately struck his face. The poor thing fell to the ground in shock.

"W-Who are you?!" he shook.

"Sorry for scaring you," the soldier replied, his voice doing absolutely nothing to help the situation. "I am a soldier from another dimension. What is this place called, anyway?"

Suddenly, the horror flew from the mushroom's face.

His eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth stretched out into an uneasy frown. It was skepticism's shift.

"What planet are you from?" he asked with a scary drawl.

"It's called Earth," the soldier smiled.

Horror struck the mushroom's face again, but it was only visible for a second… for his face turned away, along with his body, whose feet took him running away at the speed of a frisky kitten.

"MAYDAY! EMERGENCY!" he shouted, speeding toward a town of mushroom houses that the soldier had just noticed. "EARTH TRESSPASSER APPROACHING!"

_Numerous _cries of panic from the same mushroomy voice erupted from the town.

The soldier got out his gun, resulting in a few panicked _shrieks_.

He soon saw puzzle pieces flying together when he heard a woman cry "Get 'im! Don't let him find Mobius! Don't let him lay a _finger _on Juliet!"


	19. Chapter 19

*Silver's POV*

Our adult lives were looming over our heads. Oh, how I would have longed to push them even further away from me… if one aspect of my adult phase hadn't been unfolded through a revelation.

Not a career to worry about (What was there for me to pay much money for, anyway? Money I got for my birthday each year piled up like beach sand.).

Not a family to plan out and look after (Kids are adorable, but an overwhelming amount of responsibility as well.)

Not a family… but something close.

My mind's eye could see it every night before I fell asleep, and occasionally, it was the last thing I saw before I even closed my eyes. It sometimes even leaked through to my dreams, having me whimpering for more sleep whenever I woke up.

A lavish ceremony… giddy feelings in the air… a tear here and there… and all to initiate a spiritual bond that is often, and unfortunately, taken for granted.

Marriage.

I-I could see it! I didn't quite know how, but… something about Juliet as my bride made me feel as if I had come up with a quadrillion-dollar idea.

She was… what my life needed. I was sure of it. So sure that I was sometimes unsure as to why I was sure.

It had to be because the legal age for marriage was still a decent chunk of time away, even for me.

Nevertheless, I felt it was necessary to confirm that it be engraved into my destiny, via the famous process of asking that four-word question.

But where? And how? What would engrave it into her memory as one of the sweetest recollections ever to exist?

…Oh! That tree! Hang on, it wasn't just a tree; it felt to be a scepter crafted by Cupid himself. Juliet would often admit to me that she got all dreamy whenever she looked at it. The same would happen to me. That had to be the place, though! Any other place felt downright stupid. I mean, the spot has a beautiful view, the perfect atmosphere of harmonious solitude...

Argh, me with words. She could do a lot better at it, I swear.

Only several days after this revelation, I went out and watched as half of my life's savings was wiped from existence in exchange for a ring that held a beautiful sapphire. Only half as beautiful, however, as the blue in Juliet's absolutely gorgeous eyes.

Oh, I couldn't wait! This became evident one spring evening, when I couldn't believe that summer hadn't reared its antihero-like head.

I sat, staring at the ring once more. Was… this it?

*Narrator's POV*

An excited scientist sat, staring at his computer monitor as if it were all of the world's finest riches.

Rather, he was staring at an image. The image of a strange planet that inhabited life! A scientific breakthrough in itself!

He had unknowingly killed two birds with one stone.

"…Mobius, huh?" he smiled. "…Creatures… Kinda like anthropomorphic animals, it appears…"

His cell phone rattled the table. He grabbed it and answered the one whose call he had awaited so anxiously.

"Learn anything?" he asked.

"…Yeah," a voice laughed from the other end. "Apparently, the world I'm in and another place called 'Mobius' are at war over the girl we're looking for." A hurried gunshot echoed from the background. "And Earth has been a dormant force all along."

"And somehow, cellular signals have absolutely no problem," said the excited astronomer. "I have my sights on this 'Mobius' now. It appears to be the home of many anthropomorphic animals."

"What are you waiting for?" roared the voice from the other end. "Have someone send the nation's finest soldiers, along with a zoologist, there! I'll try to hold out. These mushroom people, better known as 'Toads,' are starting to get a bit violent. To the point where they could even potentially grow to be a threat to my life."

"On it!" said the astronomer, quickly tapping the "End Call" button and switching over to his contacts, searching for the President's number. The President had been glancing away from all of his work now and then to keep a careful eye on the case of Juliet, the girl who got kidnapped to an interdimensional level. Interplanetary, at the very least.

Oh, would he be excited to launch a rocket into space straight away! At the risk of losing several soldiers… and an animal specialist…

*Luigi's POV*

I saw it from atop a distant comet. It had a distinct glow to it: a blue one that seemed to radiate nothing but happiness and joy.

I… felt like I'd been there before… Oh, of course! I knew several folks from there. We had competed in Olympic sports together, from normal to awry!

I almost couldn't bring myself to abandon the idea of a peaceful negotiation. Couldn't we all share Juliet? Couldn't she be our galaxy's warrior, not just a world's?

The girl herself had absolutely no idea what potential she had, and it scared me to think… just… of how many people want to take complete and utter control over her, and how she couldn't foresee it in any way possible.

I found the star cannon that would lead me there, sighed, and took slowed steps toward it.

* * *

><p><strong>Question for the reader: Something hit me as I was reading another fanfiction (they had pointed it out directly): Is self-insertion hurting my chances? What do you think of self-insertion… A.K.A. the OC?<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

*Silver's POV*

"No…" I ended up telling myself. "It's entirely too soon. Neither of us are old enough to marry yet; she won't be for nearly another two years! What if she were to fall in love with someone else?!"

That was when it dawned on me just how much I'd be putting on the line if I were to let it be known that I wanted Juliet's hand in marriage. A spiritual bond… One that is _extremely _difficult to ward off if need be…

If both of our hearts were still beating for each other when adulthood was officially ours, she'd be the one.

*Juliet's POV*

Several days had gone by. The preceding fact had never even crossed my mind, as far as I'm concerned.

I knew that for sure when everything hit the fan.

Another peaceful night was what I envisioned it to be. Just one more night of the warm breeze, the sweet dreams, and the overall essence of spring that welcomed me to the outside world rather than encouraging me to shelter away from it in a warm blanket.

That, however, was merely the steel mask that covered what would truly be this night's fate.

I knew it when I awoke from my vivid dream as a result of a rolling quake… that followed a planet-cracking boom… both being followed by a _searing _heat.

In shock, I found myself standing up by my bed. Everything still rumbled. I could hear things crumbling apart…

I ran to the nearest window, opening it so that I could get the optimum view.

The air absolutely _reeked _of smoke and burning.

I looked to my left. A starry night. The lights from Twinkle Park, accompanied by the starlight, merely shrugged at me.

I looked to my right, though.

The only thing that I could see that stuck out was the brief and occasional lick of a flame.

It was a huge flame nonetheless.

It must have been the absolute middle of the early morning, but I wasn't about to let that hold me back from flying out from my bedroom door, and eventually, my front door.

The smell of burning lingered in my nose.

I looked to my left and realized where the flames were coming from. It almost seemed like they were trying to impress me when all they were doing was absolutely clutching my heart and making it skip several beats.

They roared from a white house.

_Silver's _white house.

My feet were not to be stopped. My lungs were not to collapse, and my tears were not about to give up on me. I dashed toward the scene, faster than I ever had before. I felt like a Sonic-in-training.

Oh, God… Silver, no!... Not you!...

Just as I stepped foot in his yard, I cried "SILVER!" It may have taken all of the air that was left in my lungs. Whether it had or not, I hoped to goodness that he had heard me.

The roof sunk, resulting in cracks that perfectly represented what was going on in my heart, with every single second of silence that passed by.

All of a sudden, Silver responded. My heart was instantly sealed.

"Juliet?!" he cried. "I'm okay!"

After that, however, came the next round. Another explosion, nearer to where I had just been.

I looked behind me to realize that the blast was inches off of searing my own house.

"W-Where are you?!" I asked.

My eyes saw the instant answer to my question. He was dashing from the back of his house toward me, standing out like a moth against a light.

He just barely dodged a flaming plank of wood that had come roaring down to the ground.

Once he reached me, he wrapped me in a tight hug. One that I almost melted into.

"Are you alright?" he asked, shaking as if the entire world had frozen over again.

"I'm… fine," I replied.

We then separated.

"What's going on?!" I inquired, shaking just as much as he was.

"I don't know," he panicked, looking up at the sky. "…AH! There's another one!"

He pointed up at the sky, more toward the direction of Twinkle Park.

The next bomb gave its little show of a warning. These things were basically comets, but man-made; spirals of flames danced around them, but the yellow dome that would first make contact with the ground reflected its light.

A lot of Twinkle Park's lights were shut down that night. Mobius shook again.

"We aren't _safe _here!" said Silver. "We have to find some sort of bomb shelter!"

Suddenly… from what we thought was empty space…

A "Not so fast." Then, a click.

We both turned around to see what we were up against.

In the flickering light of the flame, we could make this man out. He was at least six inches taller than me. He had black hair, a broad figure, and a face that could spell anything but an eagerness for humor.

He wore a blackened suit with golden buttons and multicolored badges that signified his authority.

Most importantly, he was skinned rather than furred.

A human.

And he was pointing a gun at Silver, who had put his hands up in utter panic.

Another explosion growled at us from somewhere in the distance.

He turned to me.

"You're Juliet, correct?" he asked.

I wasn't sure how, exactly, to respond.

"…Even if I was…" I decided upon. "Why do you ask?"

"…Miss Juliet," said the man, beginning to shake a bit himself. "T-They've turned you into one of them! Dear God…"

He got out a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.

"Officer Vaughn speaking," he announced. "I've found her. They've somehow managed to transform her into one of their own!"

"That's possible!" a voice cracked from the other side. "The atmosphere is different. You've noticed yourself get more hair on your legs as well, correct?"

Officer Vaughn reattached his walkie-talkie to his belt, his gun never budging from its direct shot to Silver.

"Don't try anything funny, hedgehog," Vaughn growled, then stepped one step closer to Silver. "How do you reverse the effects?"

"…I don't know, sir," Silver replied, shaking even more than I thought was scientifically possible. "I've never left this planet, and I've never heard of a way to turn into a human when you were once a Mobian."

Another bomb made landfall somewhere in the distance.

"…Alright," said Vaughn, lowering his gun just a hair.

"Can I ask what you want with her?!" Silver growled, preparing to take a step toward me.

Raising his gun back up to where it was before, Vaughn replied "You do realize that your planet has committed a kidnapping, right? This girl belongs to the planet where she was born and raised; I'm here to take her home."

At that, he lowered his gun and stashed it back into his belt, but instead used that hand to get a firm grasp on my right arm.

"The rocket isn't far from here," he told me.

"W-Wait!" I panicked. "What if I want to stay here?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Juliet," sighed Vaughn. "Your family dearly misses you and wants you home."

What kind of family were they, then?

I would have fought, and with an iron fist, if the officer's grip had loosened any… and if he didn't have that forsaken gun at his disposal.

"Juliet…" I heard Silver whimper from behind me.

"…S-Silver…" I whispered to myself, looking back.

Were they seriously…

*Luigi's POV*

My boots made contact with Mobius's soft and pristine grass… and directly next to a rocket ship.

Ah, what a _horrid _scene I had to lay eyes on. Everything was on fire. Everything was crumbling to the very foundation.

All of a sudden, I caught sight of something I knew I had to fix.

An officer and a fox, her arm in his hand. She seemed to want to fight to let her arm escape from his grasp.

I opened my mouth to speak up the instance I heard her voice shake whilst saying "O-Officer… Please… This is my home now!"

That couldn't be…

Juliet!

"You let-a her go!" I cried.

They both looked my way.

Juliet's eyes glistened with hope as she sighed "Luigi…" with a huge smile.

The officer, however, fumbled for his gun.


	21. Chapter 21

*Juliet's POV*

Within a few seconds, it seemed like this Vaughn person had a hold on both of us. His fingers dug a bit deeper into my sleeve, and his other hand was holding the gun that pointed directly at Luigi.

"Don't move!" Vaughn growled. "Or you'll get a bullet to your freaking humongous nose!"

The fire of rage within me rose a bit.

"No!" I cried. "Please… d-don't hurt him! Nobody needs to be hurt!"

Luigi nodded in response, his tear-filmed eyes not coming off of Officer Vaughn's gun.

This, I suddenly knew, was in my hands. Perhaps a bit of professionalism and calm mannerism could win me some points?

"S-Sir," I said. "Please, if you would, put the gun _down_. He won't do anything rash. I promise."

Struggling to find words, the officer looked back at me, then back at Luigi.

He then sighed, retracting the gun and putting it back in his belt.

"Thank you," I smiled. "Now… Why do I need to come back to Earth? I'm happy here."

"Your family misses you!" Officer Vaughn asserted.

"Is that really it?" I snapped. "Oh, I get it. So I absolutely have to go back and live with the same family that… t-that doesn't seem to care for my happiness? This PROVES that they don't truly care for me! Why should I leave, sir, when my dreams remain here?"

Luigi's eyes would not come off of _me _now. Nor would Vaughn's.

"…Fine…" he responded. "I see. You're right."

"I'm… right?" I marveled.

"However," Vaughn continued. "There's another reason that you must return, and… it's the reason that I asked specifically to retrieve you myself…"

"What?" I shrugged. "Is little old _Earth _ending?"

"While Earth itself is just fine," said Vaughn. "Another world is suffering a dark, _dark _apocalypse."

"B-But…" Luigi interjected. "The Mushroom-a Kingdom still has-a blue skies as well."

"That's not it, either," sighed Vaughn. "…Without you, my son's world is falling apart."

Silence for a second.

"He was a classmate of yours," he continued with a softer voice. "Miles Vaughn… You know him?"

"…Y-Yeah," I responded.

Miles was the one quiet bookworm of a guy that I ever saw. He never really talked to anyone.

Wait…

A smile was rare for the guy… and all of the times I saw it, I was either working with him or had randomly gotten the courage to ask how his day was. Almost never otherwise.

I had clearly caught him staring at me at least twice, that I could remember. That brought a smile to his face as well. Whenever this happened, I tried to bring myself to smile and stare back, and directly into his crimson eyes… but something, perhaps the fear of seeming risky, pulled me away within a second or two each time.

He… loved me? How could I have been making myself so _blind_?!

Was this flaming world of animals… really my home anymore?

"The _moment _after he heard on the news that we had located you," Officer Vaughn chuckled. "…Oh, he begged and pleaded, with tears in his eyes, for me to find you. Never before had my son been so… passionate about something. I had to accept, and I wanted to make sure that it was me who brought you home."

The rocket in front of us called to me.

The thought of Miles's smile suddenly brought a flush to my cheeks.

"Juliet, NO!" Luigi cried. "Don't let-a him take you!"

"Ugh…" Officer Vaughn growled.

Yes… The thought of a trap suddenly came to mind, and I became a bit skeptical.

"…Tell you what?" Vaughn said. "I can tell you're in a bit of disbelief. What if I were to take you back to Earth-"

"N-NO!" Luigi cried again.

Officer Vaughn reached for his gun and pointed it at Luigi again without a second thought. I gasped.

In response to my fear, this bold officer gained an awkward complexion and put away his gun again.

"_Momentarily_…" he said. "…I could take you back to Earth, have my son meet us there, and have him tell you the truth himself."

I looked back. No concerned hedgehogs in sight… Just the darkened road…

"…Hang on a second," I said. "May you let go of my arm, please?"

Without a word, the officer obeyed.

I then walked over to Luigi.

"Luigi," I whispered. "Is there… any possibility you could transport one of those star cannons?"

"I could-a ask," Luigi responded. "But the princess is-a probably asleep. I would have to get a response tomorrow. I would also have to-a call her, since… well…"

"Ah," I nodded. "Well, here's what I'm thinking. I go with Officer Vaughn and listen to what Miles has to say. However, you'll be waiting on the ship in case I give the signal that I want to return here. If I give that signal, you'll have the cannon ready, and we can make a quick escape. We'll go from there if that's the case."

"But you'd be-a cheating on Silver if you-a stay in Miles's hands!" Luigi panicked.

"…Luigi," I sighed. "Miles is from Earth. My place of origin, and completely intended to be my place of life. In truth… Earth is the only world that was intended to exist. Some have theorized that this world is merely the materialized figment of my imagination."

Fortunately, I didn't need to say anything more. Luigi nodded.

"…I-If you'll-a allow me to stay at your place," he agreed. "…Okay. I-a accept. You have a phone, right?"

"I do," I nodded, turning around to face Officer Vaughn again.

"Well?" Vaughn asked. "Are you willing to do this?"

"Only if you'll allow my friend here to come with me," I said. "And not until tomorrow."

"Y-Yes!" the officer smiled. "I will make camp here until… say, tomorrow evening?"

"That'll work," I said, looking to Luigi, who still seemed to be in complete agreement.

"Good," nodded Officer Vaughn.

At that, Luigi and I walked away, and Officer Vaughn unzipped a bag that appeared to have a tent within it.

"But Juliet," said Luigi. "What am I-a to tell-a the princess?"

"_Nothing_," I whispered. "…Well, tell her that you haven't found me yet, and that you need the cannon for when you return."

"You-a knew I was here to find-a you?" Luigi asked in surprise.

"You arrived around the same time that an officer from Earth came to find me," I explained. "I had a bitter feeling that that's what you were here for. And… I-I'm grateful for your willingness to support me in this plan."

"I am-a personally against-a all this war," Luigi smiled. "Happy to-a help!"

*Narrator's POV*

Later that night, a worried teenager sat, awake, on his bed, staring at nothing but what only he could see as his thoughts.

His father was out on the path to another world.

All of a sudden, his cell phone rattled against his dresser. He picked it up with the speed of a ninja and stared, wide-eyed, at its screen.

Officer Vaughn was calling. His father was still out there somewhere!

He tapped the "accept call" button, slapped the phone to his ear, and said "Father!"

"Son!" laughed Officer Vaughn from the other end. "I found her, son. I've found Juliet."

The way the boy's heart flew could never have outmatched the speed of a hummingbird.

All he could do was smile and say "No news could ever make me happier than these have, father."

"Well, that's not all," laughed Officer Vaughn. "I spoke with her as well, and she was… mildly cooperative. She refuses to come back to Earth without _solid _proof that what I've told her is true."

"Uh…What did you say to her?"

"I told her of your love for her, son. I first told her that her family missed her. She only grew angry and refused to cooperate. When I told her of your love, however, it seemed to be the one thing I needed to convince her."

"…D-Do you believe she could possibly like me back, father?!"

"We'll find out. What I've called to tell you is that it's all in your hands now."

"How so?"

"She agreed to allow me to bring her and an odd friend of hers back to Earth, but only to a point very near to the ship. She's not convinced that she wants to stay there. Miles… I need you to meet us near the launch site at precisely 7pm tomorrow. There, you will come face-to-face with Juliet. There, you will confess, with true and deep words, just how much she means to you."

"I'll be glad to do so!"

"From there… Son… You're our only hope. Prepare. Don't let either of us down."

"I promise, I won't!"

"Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, father."

At that, the boy hung up the phone, set it on the dresser, picked up a pillow, and held it close to him. He nuzzled his head against it, a smile never leaving his delighted face. It would seem as if he had fallen in love with his classmate all over again…

He had the words. At last, he could get them out. They absolutely _had _to earn the affection of the second of only two people he wanted in his life.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's warning: Worship Luigi's timid and cowardly nature? Use this moment to turn around and walk away.**

* * *

><p>*Princess Peach's POV*<p>

When the news that Luigi was trying to page me slipped off of a Toad's tongue, I dashed back to the castle, absolutely confident that we had somehow won the battle.

That turned out to be as probable as catching every bullet that was fired within the skin of our fingers.

I sat within my room and picked up the phone.

"Luigi!" I exclaimed. "Do you have your hands on the girl?"

Oh, the monstrosity that came from the other end…

"No, Princess," he growled at me. "I don't have my hands on her. I have, however, _located _her."

I could only sit there, my mouth futilely, yet hopelessly agape at what was just uttered to me.

"Princess, I am-a absolutely SICK of what everyone's-a trying to do," he continued, his voice shook. "Her name's Juliet, princess. Now… please… listen to me."

Speech was still shriveled to nonexistence within my throat.

"I need a star cannon," Luigi explained. "We've made an agreement with an Earth soldier. This soldier's son is apparently-a hopelessly in love with Juliet. Therefore, the soldier, Juliet, and I will travel to Earth to hear his testimony. The decision will be in her hands. If she-a decides against Earth… well… T-That's where-a the star cannon comes in! We'll need to be able to-a make a quick escape!"

I was finally able to say "L-Luigi… The Mushroom Kingdom needs her power!"

"But… P-PRINCESS!" Luigi shouted. "This… I can't-a believe you! Besides… Haven't you wondered what power she'll have if all-a the happiness within her heart has been-a... wiped away like water off a floor? I almost… wish you could-a see what she'd look like then."

And that's when it hit me.

I glanced out of my window. My citizens… They all had beaming smiles on their faces… as if past woes and future concerns were completely nonexistent. They loved where they were…

Once more, I asked "What do you mean by all of this, Luigi?"

A bit calmer, Luigi explained "Are you ever truly happy when you're locked up in one of Bowser's evil cages, princess? Can you ever really take more than a few steps when that happens? Is there… much you can do?"

A moment of silence… so that I could want to slap myself in the face.

"Alright," I nodded. "I'll send one your way. For this mission, I'd recommend hiding it in a bag or something like that. If an emergency escape shall have to rise, just throw the orb on the ground, and the cannon should appear. Luigi… Good luck."

"…T-Thank you for-a understanding," sighed Luigi. "Hang-a tight."

He hung up.

A third of me wanted to clock the guy in his nose.

Two thirds of me wanted me to clock _me _in the nose.

Deep down… I hoped that whoever this "son of a soldier" was wouldn't be the man of Juliet's dreams. That lone third in me was beginning to win.


	23. Chapter 23

*Silver's POV*

That dreadful night when Juliet was quite literally taken by the hand and stolen from this world… From me… It made me stop and take a look at the concept of life again.

I had thought she and I… possessed it all. All of it, every little ounce of happiness that could be so mercilessly squeezed out of existence like juice from a fruit.

I had all I needed to pick me up when the day threw me into a low mood. Her voice brought warmth to freeze the ice in my heart.

But what I didn't see coming was… just how quickly everything changed. How one moment was filled with sunshine and puppies, and the moment I blinked, I opened my eyes to get the impression that the future I had saved was suddenly exactly the monstrosity that I had first seen it as again.

That night, I couldn't return home. I had to surround myself with the stars to remind myself that somehow, they still twinkled.

I sat by my favorite tree (which was my favorite for a _painfully _obvious reason) and tried to heed the comfort that both Sonic and Blaze were giving me.

The comfort was there. I knew it regardless of the fact that even they were mostly speechless.

Still… I could only sit there and drown in my own depression. As much as I wanted myself to be positively impacted by the words of two of my best friends, it just… wasn't working.

My mind was especially focused on the very last moment I ever saw Juliet. How I should have ran after them. How I should have taken the soldier down with what people say are my godlike powers.

However, I was then reminded of the greed I would have expressed. How I would then only be considered a threat. How I could possibly even have thrown Juliet off guard.

I'm still torn…

*Juliet's POV*

Luigi and I both set foot in my house.

Luigi crashed on the white couch.

I stepped outside, just to gaze down the street to see the charred remains of Silver's home somehow reflecting the misleading moonlight.

Somehow, I got the flickering impulse to ask "…Silver?" to the open and silent air.

What was even on his mind at the moment? Was it even an answer that'd provide any sort of benefit to my torn heart?

Did I even want to hear the man's name? Or would it only remind me who I was possibly going to leave in the dust?

I heaved a sigh and walked back inside, not hesitating to make my way to my room and hug my bed, acting as if it would definitely be the last time I'd ever sleep upon it.

Both the night and the following daylight flew by. The next evening, Luigi and I stood in front of a trillion-dollar spaceship, Luigi holding a mysterious beige purse of some sort.

At one moment, I finally looked to make sure that nobody was around, then asked "What's the purse for?"

"It's not a purse," Luigi pouted.

"…Satchel?" I inquired.

"Our escape plan," he replied.

Then, almost out of thin air, a professionally excited voice rang "Ah, friends!"

Within a few seconds, we stood before Officer Vaughn again. He seemed chipper. Proud to soon be presenting his son to me.

How, I wondered, could Miles have changed?

Was this entire process… normal?

"Ready to go?" asked Officer Vaughn.

"As ready as I'll ever be… I guess," I shrugged.

Then, we boarded the ship and stepped into space suits.

As soon as the countdown began blaring over a loudspeaker somewhere, I muttered "I hope the Earth's atmosphere will turn me back into a human."

"It will," replied Vaughn. "I hope you realize that your disappearance has had scientists hard at work for six years. It's miraculous what we've come up with as the human race thanks to you."

At that, he emitted a hearty laugh.

The rocket took off. Never would have guessed I'd ever see space through my own eyes, but… here I was.

After only an hour, the rocket was being pulled in by the gravity of what was once a homely planet. What was once my home planet.

We landed, and within ten minutes, Officer Vaughn and I were authorized to step out. Poor Luigi was smart enough to realize that his appearance would cause another ripple in the fabric of current knowledge that would completely distract from the event at hand. In short, he had to hide in the ship.

I took that first step on Earth soil, seeing that my foot was once again that of a human. That my body was that of a human.

I was really supposed to grow up here, huh?

The sky was blue, with just the occasional puff of cloud here and there, and the air was a bit humid.

"I was… honestly thinking a whole swamp of people would be here," I laughed.

"I made sure the opposite was what would happen," replied Officer Vaughn. "I brought you here so that my son could confess his _love _for you. We're not on some Hollywood TV set."

"Understandable," I nodded.

Then, also out of thin air, hurried footsteps were growing louder against Earth's green grass.

We looked ahead to see a shockingly familiar figure dashing toward us with all his might.

Time has only made him taller and more like a man. Aside from that, not one thing about him was as I didn't remember it. The thoughtful eyes of deep crimson… That expression that only ever changed with extreme happiness... The hair that strived to cover most of said expression… The clothes that instantly put the nerd label on him…

Miles Vaughn. That quiet kid that I couldn't help but start to love.

He stopped himself short when he was directly in front of us. He actually seemed to be thrown completely off guard by _something_.

"…Father," he said. "You've returned safely!"

"Fortunately," Officer Vaughn laughed, walking over to Miles and patting him on the back a couple of times, resulting in a smile of relief on his face.

Suddenly, a voice crackled from the loving father's intercom.

"Officer Vaughn, are you back to Earth yet?" it asked.

"I just arrived here," Officer Vaughn replied.

"We need you back here at the station for a quick briefing on the current situation."

"…Alright. I'll be right there."

He put his intercom back in his belt.

"Alright, kids," he explained. "I need to go to the police station, which is just down the street. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Both Miles and I nodded and said "Alright."

The officer walked away. For what seemed like the first time for some reason, Miles and I were alone.

He suddenly had a rosy complexion, and seemed to be in a struggle for words. Several times, he tried to utter something, but immediately took it back, getting more and more worked up with each failure to speak.

Understanding the exact pain the poor guy was going through, my own face began to flush, and I felt this nagging urge to smile.

Feeling as if I finally had the upper hand in a social situation for once, I decided to ask "How have you been, Miles?"

The smile was finally allowed to occur.

He recovered from his stumbling, instead looking up at me and standing a bit taller.

"Um… Alright, you could say," he replied. "…Well, maybe not as great as I would have hoped… Juliet, nothing's been the same for six years! Absolutely nothing's been the same since you were taken from us!"

"H-Hang on!" I reacted. "…Really?"

"I'm serious," said Miles. "A lot has been thrown off, everyone is reevaluating their lives… Oh, so many people wish you could see what's going on."

"Dear goodness…" I murmured. And they had told me that Miles was the only thing falling apart!

"…Hey, Juliet?" he asked, recomposing himself. "What's it like there?"

"…There?" I replied. "As in the world I was just at before this one?"

"Yeah," Miles nodded. "Mobius, it's called."

"It is called Mobius," I said. "And it's… honestly not too different if you're just looking at the planet itself. However, the inhabitants… Very different. Only a select few humans in _existence _have a certain chromosome in their DNA that'll detect the Mobius atmosphere and turn them, painlessly, into a Mobian. Mobians are basically anthropomorphic, two-legged, three-foot cartoon-like characters, for lack of a better way to put it. I guess… I was blessed with that chromosome."

"Hmm," Miles nodded. "Intriguing. Do you… like it there?"

Asking this almost seemed to put him in a melancholy mood.

"It was alright," I stated. And nothing more than that, for safety.

A silence ensued where both of our faces only reddened into a deeper shade.

"Your father…" I decided to say. "…He tells me…"

"I-I know," Miles stuttered. "He told you that I… really like you… a-and…"

He sighed.

"It's true. There's no turning back for me now."

Speaking of which, time and puberty had done a soothing number on his voice…

"You know," he continued. "All the other guys in elementary school thought those of the female gender had a deadly disease known as cooties. I thought that of every other girl… with you being the exception. You seemed… sterile. I really wanted to talk to you, but always guessed you'd turn away and call me a dork. I think that's what it was."

He emitted a nervous laugh.

"Stupid, I know. I didn't know what was going on and occasionally even wanted it to stop! But it never backed down, and the very moment I caught a couple of our classmates making out in the hallway at an after-school thing in 5th grade, I realized that I could accept it. I still didn't know what it was until you were taken from us the following January. As we grew older and older, more of us fell in love and got together, and… this "mystery of the interdimensional kidnapping" made me realize… I missed you. It was shortly after that when I realized that I felt that way because I… uh, I…"

There he was, stumbling on his words again. I decided to let him find the words himself, while I went over everything he had just told me as if it were a flashback in a movie. An early childhood affection that grew… Then, I was taken to the Mushroom Kingdom and never saw him again until this moment.

He liked me. I didn't pick it up.

For that, I wanted to learn how Silver managed to travel through time.

"...Love," sighed Miles. "I missed you because… well… I love you. Every time we were paired together for an assignment… was a day worth talking about."

"Oh… w-well…" I tried to reply.

The breeze could only do so much to keep me from freezing to the spot.

"...Feel free to slap me for what I've just said," he stated. "Feel free to never talk to me again. Just… Please, I beg of you… Stay here on Earth. You can just take some online courses over the summer to bring yourself up to your junior year in high school before it even starts! I'm sure the administrators will understand. Please, Juliet…"

I quickly glanced back up at the sky, thinking I could see a planet where a poor traveler was absolutely sick of life. How would the light dance in his eyes if _he _ever saw me again?

Then, I looked back at the rocket ship, remembering that there was a Mario brother waiting anxiously within it. If it wouldn't even further distort reality, he would have had his nose plastered against the oval of a window that just so happened to face us. What would the Mushroom Kingdom offer for me?

Then, my eyes returned to Miles himself, whose eyes would not come off of me. If I were to choose this route, I'd welcome his love with open arms, and I would _definitely _speak to him again. I'd be super happy to speak to Miles Vaughn again… all because _this_ was a love that was scientifically meant to be, right?

A materialized figment of my imagination… That very well could have been all that Luigi, Mobius, the Mushroom Kingdom, and Silver were. Just… a phenomenon that was bestowed upon _me_, of all people.

Well… What was it going to be, Juliet?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Next week is when this riveting story <strong>_**finally **_**draws to a close. Oh, and if you feel as if this was posted a bit late… Life. Family. Thank them.**

**Question for the reader: I know you all hate when I do this (Right?), but… What do you see as the most effective decision? **


	24. Chapter 24

*Luigi's POV*

It was around an hour that I had to wait, only being able to plaster my ear against the wall of the ship. I only heard the blood rushing through said ear.

After that hour finally passed on, Officer Vaughn finally returned to the ship, a hearty smile on his face.

He laughed, then declared "Haha! I knew he'd get through to her. That's my son."

"So…" I replied solemnly. "She… won't-a be leaving Earth?"

"It doesn't appear so," Officer Vaughn stated.

I gave a sigh of distress, but nothing more. I was going to miss the innocent soul.

My primary concern was just how I was going to break this to Princess Peach.

"All I have to do is take you home," said Vaughn. "You live on a planet that holds a city called the Mushroom Kingdom, correct?"

"That's right," I nodded. "Just… drop me off on a comet. In this-a bag here, I have a cannon that'll-a shoot me back home."

As the rocket rumbled with the preparation for liftoff, Officer Vaughn looked back at me, and for a split second, he was absolutely bamboozled.

"You all are a strange bunch," he replied. "You sure? We can watch you and make sure you get there safely. And how-"

"Yes, we can breathe in space," I nodded. "Somehow…"

"Alright," shrugged the officer.

At that, the rocket began to lift from the Earth.

Goodbye, Juliet. You've been… good to us. I know I'm not talking to my brother for a while…

*Princess Peach's POV* (Two hours later)

"So… she's… never coming back?" I asked.

"No," said Luigi, gravely shaking his head. "She's back on Earth… where she belongs."

"Oh…" I sighed. "Well… It's for the best, right? You were right, but only about one thing you said. Power takes happiness. She'd have been a lost cause."

Luigi nodded.

The only difference we feel today is that I want Luigi to rescue me if I'm ever kidnapped again. None of us have seen Mario for days, and quite honestly, I can do with never seeing him again.

*Juliet's POV*

The clouds were darkened in the far distance. My eyebrows raised, for darkened clouds spelled my favorite weather.

In the two planets before… blue skies were a motto.

Feeling this planet calling out to my heart, I set firm eyes on Miles. He raised his eyebrows a bit.

"Well?" he asked.

"…Well…" I replied.

The breeze began to blow.

"…I think I will stay here," I nodded.

"Awesome!" Miles cheered.

"BUT…" I interrupted. "…Especially if you and I could… go out sometime."

"Well…" he replied. "…Y-Yeah, sure! They're… playing a movie outside of the movie theater tomorrow."

"Sounds great," I nodded.

"It starts at 8, so… should we meet there at 7:30?"

"Sounds great!"

That same boy is the joy in going to school. After the final class has gotten out, he always locates me through the bustling crowd and gives me a big hug.

Everyone deems us as the Class of 2017's cutest couple.

We're set to go to prom later this month.

Every time we're paired up for an assignment is still a day worth talking about.

Sometimes, though, I wonder… If I had taken one of the other two paths that were laid out for me that day… Would I be nearly as happy?

Probably not.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: No, I do now know a Miles Vaughn (He is made up. I guess he's an OC). Yes, I am still Forever Alone. Regardless, I hope Fantasy Swirl was a pleasure to read! Go ahead and give me your thoughts on it if you'd like!<strong>


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